The Cat with Two Faces
by SamRedfox
Summary: What if Firestar wasn't the cat everyone thought he was? What if Tigerclaw never committed a crime? What if Bluestar had a secret- one that could shatter her and her Clan if it was found out? This is ThunderClan- a place where nothing is as it seems and everyone has a secret. Because it's hard to tell a lie. But it's even harder to tell the truth.
1. Into the Wild

Rusty

Rusty was a different cat. Where others saw loss, he saw gain. Where others saw weakness, he saw strength. When others saw evil, he saw opportunity. He purred happily to himself as he stood atop his housefolk's fence. The simple creatures were nice enough, feeding him and welcoming him in during the cold, windy nights. But Rusty wanted more. He was a young cat, and he was bored of the safe home with its lazy life. He was fed up with the idiotic housefolk, who stood on two legs and lacked any trace of fur.

The yellow sunlight soaked through him, and his whiskers drooped sleepily. His tail twitched in anticipation as he stared at the forest floor below him. He had never been outside of his garden, but he knew that that would soon change. He loved his vantage point. He slowly turned his head, his green gaze sweeping over the countless other housefolk gardens. There were so many. And he was above them all. It made him feel… powerful. Rusty blinked happily. He liked that feeling.

"Where are you off to Rusty?" Rusty bit back an vicious hiss. Couldn't his fat, lazy neighbor give him a moment of peace?

He sighed, regaining his composure as fast as he had lost it, "Hello, Smudge." Smudge stood a few tail lengths away, balancing awkwardly on the narrow fence. The old cat's pelt was fluffed out with fear.

His idiotic amber eyes were wide, "You're not going in t-the _woods_ are you?!" Rusty imagined how it would feel to rip the buffoon's fur off. But he had to keep him happy. Smudge new a lot of cats. That could come in handy…

So, he had no choice but to allow the pathetic pillow to keep its fur, "Just for a quick look."

"It's, uh, _dangerous_!" Rusty sighed. Smudge may be four times his age, but he had the guts of a sparrow. The old cat continued, "Henry said he went into the woods once!"

Rusty felt his hackles rising, and he forced them back down, "That fat lump of fur has hardly left his garden after he went to the vet!" Smudge shifted uneasily, and Rusty knew that he had to calm down. He couldn't throw potential tools because of some useless lump of fluff. It wasn't worth it.

Smudge continued, "No, really! He caught a robin in there!" _Yah, right._ Rusty thought bitterly. Smudge didn't seem to notice the disdain in the younger cat's eyes, "Henry told me there are all sorts of dangerous animals in there! There are even wild cats who sharpen their claws on rabbit bones and eat us civilized cats for snacks!"

Rusty forced a purr into his voice, "Smudge, he was probably joking."

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe Henry was making up a story just to scare you."

"Oh, I didn't think of that." _Of course you didn_'_t! _

Rusty turned to leave, "I won't be gone long." He leapt down off of the fence, quickly forgetting Smudge. He landed on the course grass, and felt leaves crunch under his paws. He parted his jaws, allowing the scents of the forest to reach the glands at the roof of his mouth. _Mouse!_ Rusty's tail twitched with excitement, and he dropped quickly into a crouch. A few moments later, the furry brown creature stumbled out from the roots of a tree. It scurried on, not noticing Rusty. The young cat smiled. He took one silent pawstep, then another. Suddenly, he tripped up slightly, and the bell on his collar rang through the silent morning air. The bumbling mouse dashed into the cover of its hole with a frightened squeak.

Rusty cursed silently, his whiskers quivering with rage. This stupid collar! He could've gotten that mouse! Suddenly, he heard pawsteps hurtling towards him. Too late, he realized that he was in danger. Then the creature slammed into his side, knocking him to the ground with a screech of rage.

Tigerclaw

"The nerve of those worthless scraps of fox dung!" Redtail crouched quivering next to Tigerclaw, his small tortoiseshell body flattened against the damp leaves. Tigerclaw peered out from behind the log, and got another glance at the Shadowclan cats sitting proudly on the much contested strip of land between Thunderclan and Shadowclan territories. It had always been changing paws for as far as he could remember. Redtail growled angrily again. Tigerclaw was just as furious. These mangy crow food eaters had no right to rub their stinking pelts over his clan's property! He would fight them off! Nobody would ever mess with Thunderclan while he had anything to say about it! The huge brown tabby flexed his unnaturally long claws. He imagined himself sinking them into the pelts of those fox-hearted Shadowclan scum!

Redtail crouched beside him, his tail rose slightly, signaling to his concealed clanmates to prepare to move. Tigerclaw spotted multiple sets of eyes, ready to obey the clan deputy's signals. Despite himself, Tigerclaw couldn't help sneeking a sideways glance at Redtail. There was something about the small tom that made him uneasy. He had become the clan deputy under extremely suspicious circumstances. The look of bloodlust in his eyes made Tigerclaw shudder. He wouldn't put it past Redtail to turn on his own clanmates for a mouse tail.

"THUNDERCLAN, ATTACK!" At Redtail's bloodcurdling call, Tigerclaw charged at the enemy cats, leaping easily over the large log in front of him. He bolted towards a large grey cat that stood a few fox lengths from the tree line. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Redtail grappling with Boulder, a powerful Shadowclan warrior. Tigerclaw turned his attention back to his own opponent. He let out a furious yowl, and saw the tom flinch visibly. Tigerstar didn't hesitate, lashing out with his huge claws in a vicious side swipe. The Shadowclan cat dodged the blow easily, and rose onto his hind paws, with both of his front paws ready for attack. Perfect, this was exactly what Tigerclaw wanted. He dropped into a crouch and rolled under his opponent, knocking his hind legs out from under him. The cat landed heavily on his side, and Tigerclaw hissed angrily as he raked his claws along the other warrior's flank. The Shadowclan cat yowled in pain, and retreated back towards the river wailing. Tigerclaw saw that his fellow clanmates were faring well against the trespassers. He spotted his jet black apprentice, Ravenpaw, cornered by two mean looking apprentices. He bounded towards them, a low growl rumbling in his throat. The two young cats took one look at Thunderclan's greatest warrior, and streaked back towards the border, wailing. Tigerclaw turned to the frightened cat.

His young apprentice wasn't ready for this, "Get back to camp, Ravenpaw. I'll be right along." His small black furred apprentice nodded hastily and dashed back into the woods.

Tigerclaw scanned the battlefield. He didn't see any more fighting, and his clanmates were chasing the Shadowclan towards the border. Victory. Suddenly, he heard the sounds of combat from the other side of a clump of brambles, the side closer to the Shadowclan border. He dashed towards the sound, his powerful muscles pumping as fast as they could. Then he saw it. Redtail was locked in combat with Boulder. The huge black cat was trying to pin down the smaller Thunderclan cat, but to no avail. Redtail might be small and untrustworthy, but he was a natural warrior. The broke apart, and began circling. Tigerclaw ground to a halt. Redtail wouldn't forgive him for interrupting his fight. They battling cats didn't notice him. Then Boulder leapt for Redtail. The ginger tailed cat tried to dodge, but he was too slow. Boulder landed on top of his opponent. Then he opened his jaws wide, and tore into Redtail in the throat. The small cat immediately went limp under the fatal blow, the blood pumping from his torn throat. Tigerclaw was shocked. Warriors didn't kill for no reason! That move was no accident! The Shadowclan scum stood up and wiped the blood from his whiskers daintily. The blood was still gushing out of Redtail's throat, staining the green grass red. The deputy of Thunderclan twitched weakly. Suddenly, Redtail, with his last ounce of strength, lashed out, his claws stained red with his own blood. The razor sharp claws caught Boulder in his unprotected throat. The Riverclan deputy stumbled, chocking on his own blood that was clogging his windpipe. He stumbled a few steps towards the thickly wooded border, and collapsed, dead. Redtail let out one last shuddering sigh, and his eyes glazed over. Tigerclaw stared at the bloodstained battlefield, his mind numb. Clan cats didn't kill each other, that was clearly stated in the Warrior Code! Why had this happened?

Bluestar

Bluestar strolled through the undergrowth, weaving through the ferns and trees with practiced ease. She loved the smell of the forest, and the feel of leaves crunching under her paws. Beside her strode Lionheart, his golden fur gleaming in the early morning light. Bluestar was glad she had such noble warriors in her clan. _Her_ clan. She purred silently. It had been difficult, but she had become the leader of Thunderclan. Just as she had always wanted. Under her command, Thunderclan would be the most powerful clan in the forest. All the other clans would learn to respect them.

She tasted the air once more, confirming the direction that Graypaw had gone. The young apprentice was on an assessment, and it was up to his mentor, Lionheart, to test his hunting skills. She had decided to tag along. A good leader always kept an eye on her clan. Suddenly, they heard a yowl of fear. Graypaw! She sprinted towards the origin of the sound, leaping over logs and dodging trees. Lionheart was a pawlength behind her, panting heavily as he dashed through the woods. Graypaw had headed into Twoleg territory! How many times had she told him not to go there?! She slowed to a halt, stopping at the edge of the tree line. Before her, the twoleg nests loomed high above them. She searched for Graypaw, and quickly found him. She breathed a sigh of relief. He was locked in combat with an young orange kittypet, who surprisingly was fighting back with a ferocity born of desperation. Then Graypaw untangled himself from the conflict, and sat a few tail lengths away from the other kitten, calmly licking his paw clean.

Something about the flame-colored pelt of the other kitten sparked a memory inside of her. The Prophecy! Only fire can save the clan! Was this it? She glanced again, and saw something that pleased her even more. There was something in the kittypet's eyes. They were bright and intelligent, like any kit's, but there was something else as well. They were also cold and calculating, he seemed to measure everything with a glance, deciding its usefulness. She could use a cat like this. Now that Redtail would be… disposed of, she would need another cat to help her. This kitten could be that cat. Bluestar sighed, she had made a grave mistake with Redtail. Would this kit be the same? No, he had more intelligence in his eyes than Redtail ever did. This cat wouldn't be a half psychotic killer.

Then Graypaw's ears twitched, and he sniffed the air, his eyes growing wide.

Lionheart twitched his tail, "He smells us. I'm surprised it took him this long."

He made as if he was going to step out from the undergrowth, but Bluestar touched his shoulder with her tail, stopping him, "I'll go first." She stepped out of the trees, Lionheart close behind her. She regarded Graypaw coldly, forcing herself to look stern, "What's going on here?" Graypaw's tail drooped, and out of the corner of her eye she saw the small kittypet studying her.

Lionheart stepped up to his apprentice, his ears flattened against the sides of his head angrily, "You shouldn't be so near to Twolegplace, Graypaw!"

"I know, Lionheart, I'm sorry." The kittypet crouched low, copying Graypaw. But Bluestar could tell that he was not intimidated. She felt her hackles rising, but she forced them back down. There was something about this tiny kit that was unnerving.

She turned to Graypaw, "Who's this?"

"Oh, he's no threat," He mewed nervously, "He's not a clan warrior, just a kittypet." _Just a kittypet? I don_'_t think so._ Graypaw turned to the kittypet, "This is Bluestar, the leader of our Clan! And this is Lionheart, and he's my mentor, which means he's training me to be a warrior."

"Thank you for the introduction, Graypaw." Mewed Lionheart coolly.

Bluestar turned back to the kittypet, "You fight well for a kittypet. Graypaw is stronger than you, but you used your wits to defend yourself."

Lionheart scoffed, "Bluestar, this is a _kittypet_! Just send him home." The kittypet flattened his ears angrily, but he bit back whatever retort he had in store.

Then he turned to Bluestar, "Is survival really that hard?"

Bluestar was pleased that this kittypet was curious, "Our territory covers only part of the forest, we have to compete with the other Clans for prey."

"Is your clan very big?"

Bluestar cautiously guarded her answer, "Big enough."

The kit nodded slowly, his eyes shining as if he was stalking a fat mouse, "Are you all warriors?"

This time Lionheart answered for her, "Some are warriors. Some are too young or too old or too busy caring for kits to hunt."

"And you all live and share prey together?" the kittypet asked.

Bluestar took a deep breath, "Perhaps you should find out for yourself. Would you like to join Thunderclan?"


	2. They Wanted Blood

Rusty

Rusty sat on the fence the next morning, the yellow rays of sun soaking into his fur. This had been the easiest decision he had ever made. Of course he was going to the forest. It was a one of a kind opportunity, and Rusty had no intention of missing it. He dug his small claws into the hard wood fence in anticipation. It could be a hard life. No, it _would_ be a hard life. But none of that mattered. All that mattered, was that Rusty would have a chance to get what he had always dreamed of. He hadn't missed the way that the huge cat Lionheart had respected the smaller Bluestar, and obeyed her every command. He could become leader of the clan. He could become the leader of _all_ of the clans! The sky was the limit.

He jumped off of the fence, standing at the edge of the forest. The scents of Bluestar, Graypaw, and Lionheart still hung in the air. Rusty didn't know if he was smelling the current scents, or the scents left over from the previous day.

"You have a lot to learn. Even the tiniest Clan kit knows when another cat is nearby." Rusty jumped at the voice, and he quickly spotted the glint of Lionheart's green eyes coming from the undergrowth. Lionheart stepped out into the open nodding a greeting to the small orange cat, "Can you tell if I'm alone?"

Rusty took a deep whiff of the air, determined not disappoint, "Um, Bluestar and Graypaw aren't here this time…"

Lionheart nodded approvingly, "That's right. But someone else is." A white cat stepped up beside Lionheart, and Rusty took a step back. The white cat was muscular and lean. A dangerous light glinted in his yellow eyes. Lionheart introduced him, "This is Whitestorm, one of Thunderclan's senior warriors."

Whitestorm meowed, "Greetings. I've heard a lot about you, young one. We are here to take you to our camp."

Lionheart glanced towards the twoleg nests nervously, "Come on, we can talk at camp." The two clan cats leaped off into the undergrowth, making no allowances for Rusty. He scrambled clumsily over logs, and flopped through dirty streams desperately trying to keep up with the two fast cats. But Rusty wouldn't slow up. No matter what, he was keeping up with these two show offs, even if it meant running until his paws fell off.

Finally, he decided to speak up, "I can smell cats." The two warriors exchanged amused glances, which infuriated Rusty. He hadn't grown up in the forest! How was he supposed to have the nose of a dog!? Of course, Lionheart didn't seem like an amazing judge of feelings. Go figure.

"There will come a time if you are accepted into the Clan, when you will know each cat-scent by name. Follow me." With that, the golden warrior leapt down from boulder to boulder and into the ravine. Rusty almost fell head over heals trying to follow them. He tumbled down the slope, and managed to catch himself right before he toppled over the edge of a huge ravine. Rusty clumsily regained his footing, his heart pounding. He tried to regain his dignity, swiping a paw swiftly over his ear. He spotted an amused look on Whitestorm's face. That mouse brain probably hadn't realized that not every cat was as big as he was. Chances are, he probably never would. Rusty felt the sudden urge to rip the idiot's muzzle off, but that wouldn't be particularly nice so he opted against it.

Lionheart hadn't noticed Rusty's mishap, which goes to show how alert he was, and he slipped quietly through a tunnel of brambles. Rusty followed right behind him, careful not to look like a complete fool. Of course, if Lionheart was one of the brightest warriors in the clan, that wouldn't be too hard. As they emerged from the brambles, Rusty gasped in surprise. The camp was huge! It was situated inside of a deep pit, and the steep sides made attack from anywhere but the front impossible. There were ledges and large bushes lining the edges of the ravine, and from the looks of it they were used as dens. There was a large clearing in the middle, and a particularly high ledge on one of the walls. And the entire camp was flooded with cats. Some were eating, others were sitting alone, and a few others were grooming each other.

Lionheart the idiot decided to state the obvious, "Just after sunhigh, when the day is hottest, is a time for sharing tongues. Clan cats always spend time grooming each other and sharing the news of the day. It binds the members of the clan together." By now the other cats had realized that a stranger had entered the camp, and heads began turning as the sound of mews died. Rusty was not interested in the other cats. He could play with these imbeciles minds like most cats play with mice. When he was leader, he would camouflage the edges of the ravine better. Maybe that way enemies would fall into the ravine, breaking their own necks. He would also have to- "Over here," blabbed Lionheart, "Is the nursery, where the kits were cared for." Glancing at the hyperactive kits playing, Rusty bit back a scornful reply, _Thank you oh wise one, I thought those were the mighty warriors. _"The care of the kits is shared by all of the queens," mewed Lionheart, "All cats serve the Clan. Loyalty to the clan is the first law in our warrior code, a lesson you must learn quickly if you wish to stay with us."

Whitestorm's ears perked as he sniffed the air, "Here comes Bluestar!" Rusty sniffed the air as well, and immediately recognized the scent of the clan leader.

The leader strode regally towards them, even though Rusty could tell she was excited, "So, he came."

Whitestorm shot a playful glance at Lionheart, "Lionheart was convinced he would not." Rusty swallowed a purr. Maybe Whitestorm wasn't so bad, if he realized Lionheart was a complete and utter idiot.

Bluestar ignored Whitestorm's banter, "So, what do you think of him?"

Whitestorm grudgingly replied, "He kept up well on the return journey… Despite his puny size." _Oh, and you were born huge of course. _

Bluestar didn't seem to notice Rusty's angry glare, "So it is agreed?" The two warriors nodded. Bluestar purred proudly, "Then I will announce his arrival to the Clan." She leapt onto the rock in the center of the clearing and yowled, "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!" Cats spilled into the clearing from the surrounding dens, and the mass gathered in front of the rock. Instinctively, Rusty knew he belonged up on that rock, ruling the other felines.

Rusty turned and saw Graypaw in the crowd, with a few other cats seated beside him.

When the cats had gathered, Bluestar began her speech, "ThunderClan needs more warriors. Never before have we had so few apprentices in training. It has been decided that ThunderClan will take in an outsider to train as a warrior." Rusty laid his ears flat as he heard the indignant mutterings that emanated from the crowd. Was _any_ cat going to give him a chance! He would show them! Bluestar continued speaking. Either she had very bad hearing, or she had chosen to ignore the prissy cats who cared more about clan bloodlines than anything else, "I have found a cat who is willing to become an apprentice of ThunderClan."

"_Lucky_ to become an apprentice," screeched a pale tabby who was standing near the back of the crowd, glaring at Bluestar.

Naturally, Bluestar chose not to hear him, "Lionheart and Whitestorm have met this young cat, and they agree with me that we should train him with the other apprentices." All eyes turned to Rusty. Despite himself, he felt his ears starting to fall back against his head. He gave himself a quick shake, _Get a grip! Bluestar_'_s said it, so none of them can ruin my plans!_ He forced his ears back up, and sat straight, ignoring all of the cats around him. Some of the Clan cats seemed slightly surprised that a "kittypet" wasn't bowing and scraping before them. Well, they had better get used to it.

As soon as it had begun, the silence ended and every cat started yowling at once, "Where does he come from?"

"Which Clan does he belong to?"

Then the pale tabby stood up, shouting out above the rest, "Can't you see his collar?! He's a mouse brained kittypet! This clan needs true cats, not just another soft bundle of fluff to feed!" Rusty almost purred darkly. Finally, a cat noticed his bright red collar. So, these cats were blind AND stupid. _Just my luck, _he thought angrily. He was so lost in thought that he forgot about the pale tabby, who was still throwing the same lame taunts. "Your collar is a mark of the Twolegs, and that noisy jingling will make you a poor hunter at best. At worst, it will bring the Twolegs into our territory looking for the poor lost kittypet who fills the woods with his pitiful tinkling." The mob of cats howled in agreement, hissing and spitting in indignation.

Lionheart stooped low and whispered, "Do you back down from Longtail's challenge?"Rusty wasn't a fighter. He preferred other cats fighting for him. No matter how much you plan, a fight always came down to luck, and Rusty didn't like luck. It wasn't very trustworthy. Then he noticed the other cats watching him expectantly. Anticipation was written all over their faces. They wanted blood. And Rusty would give it to them, With a yowl of pure rage, he sprang at the pale cat, Longtail, and caught him completely by surprise. He bit the first thing his jaws came in contact with and held on, digging his claws into Longtail's pelt. They were instantly locked together, making all of the forest cat's training as useful as a mouthful of mousedung. Rusty felt claws connect with his face, and pain seared through him. But he only held on tighter, determined to win. Suddenly, Longtail broke away from his grip, and for some reason Rusty could no longer breathe. What was happening? Then he understood. Longtail had his collar from behind, and it was choking him! Rusty lunged forward pulling with all of his might. He couldn't breathe, and everything started to get fuzzy. SNAP! The collar broke, and Rusty was free! He spun around, shaking his head to regain his normally sharp eyesight.

He was just preparing to leap on Longtail again, when Bluestar caterwauled, "ENOUGH!" Both of the fighting cats stopped, and Bluestar stepped calmly towards them. Rusty glanced up at Longtail, and noticed that the tabby's ear was torn, staining the normally pale fur red with blood. Rusty felt a stream off hot liquid run down the side of his face, from the cut above his eye. But he forced himself not to blink it away. He couldn't show weakness, especially not now. Bluestar placed the torn collar in front of him, and he caught a glint in her eye then she turned towards the clan, "Rusty, you have fought well. From this day forward, until he has received his warrior name, this apprentice will be called Firepaw, in honor of his flame colored pelt." Then, Bluestar leader of ThunderClan spoke the fateful words that would change the forest forever, "Welcome to ThunderClan."

Tigerclaw

Tigerclaw stumbled through the forest, carelessly snapping branches and tripping over rocks. Something was going on, he could feel it in his heart. But what? Why had Redtail been killed by Oakheart, and why had they fought like rogues, and not like real warriors? Tigerclaw stopped and straightened. _STOP! _He screamed to himself, _This is not what a true warrior acts like! A true warrior would find the truth, and dig the weed of this evil from the ground by its roots!_ Tigerclaw took a deep breath. First things first, where was his patrol. He let out a long wail, signaling his presence to his fellow warriors. He dashed back towards the battlefield. Why had he run? He would never run from anything again. He caught the scent of his Clanmates as they dashed to meet his call. Soon, the three cats who were on the battle patrol arrived, Mousefur, Darkstripe, and Willowpelt.

Mousefur was the first to speak, "We had them on the run, mousebrain! Why'd you call us back?"

Tigerclaw ignored her, instead turning to Darkstripe, "Anyone injured seriously?"

"No, Tigerclaw."

Then Willowpelt spoke in a low mew, "Where's Redtail?" Silence reigned over the small party. Tigerclaw gazed boldly at the other cats.

His time of mourning was over, "Redtail is dead. Boulder killed him." Willowpelt let out a startled mew, and Mousefur gasped. Even Darkstripe looked surprised.

Mousefur dug her claws into the soft forest floor, "I'm going to rip the pelt off of that fox-heart!"

Tigerclaw stared deep into her eyes, "Too late. He's dead." There was another collective gasp from his three clanmates. He continued, "Redtail slew him with his final breath." Willowpelt staggered. Darkstripe gasped.

Mousefur didn't even flinch, "I'm surprised it took that cat this long to kill."

"B-but he was the deputy!" Willowpelt stammered. Darkstripe understood Mousefur, and nodded in agreement with the small, feisty warrior,

"He wasn't really…. Stable."

"But Bluestar picked him! She's so smart, how could she pick a crazy cat?" Mousefur was stumped, and she was silenced for once. Tigerclaw was puzzled. Maybe she was right. But no, he knew Bluestar. She wouldn't cause harm to her clan, no matter what. No, this was definitely just a freak accident. He sighed,

"We'll discuss this with Bluestar. Patrol, form up! We're heading back to camp. But first, let's retrieve Redtail's body. He deserves a warrior's burial," They went back to the sight of the battle, and Tigerclaw picked up the small, dead warrior by the scruff of the neck. Then he slipped into through the trees and silently bounded over logs and moss, his powerful jaws easily keeping Redtail from dragging along the ground. As he bounded over a log, he noticed that Willowpelt was falling behind. He glanced at the two more senior warriors and jerked his head in the direction of Willowpelt. They understood, and began to slow up slightly. Tigerclaw was furious at himself. He had to remember that the younger cat couldn't keep up this breakneck pace, even if she was a warrior. He couldn't forget stuff like that if he ever became deputy, or maybe leader. He had to show good judgment, and courage. No cat would ever question his loyalty.

As they bounded closer to the camp, Tigerclaw noticed something. There was a new scent that was laced through the mingled scent of his Clanmates. An intruder! But no, there were no howls or wails of combat. So, either all of his Clanmates had their noses buried in mousedung, or the intruder had been allowed in.

He raised his tail, signaling for his patrol to slow to a reserved walk. He glanced back at them, just to make sure they had no major wounds. All clear. Tigerclaw almost smiled to himself, of course it was. They were ThunderClan. As they strolled into the ravine, all eyes turned in their direction. Tigerclaw knew that most cats looked up to him, more on account of his size than anything else. Someday, they would look up to him for more than that, though. They would respect him as a model warrior. Tigerclaw's nose instantly pinpointed the location of the stranger. It was an orange tom, who was little more than a kitten. Strangely, the other cats seemed to be in the middle of congratulating him, until Tigerclaw had walked into camp. He carefully set down the body in the center of the clearing. Redtail's coat was coated in dust and dried blood, and it looked pitiful in the center of the ravine. Everything was silent. Then Bluestar stammered,

"Tigerclaw! How did this happen?" Tigerclaw cleared his throat and stared out into the assembly of cats,

"He died with honor, struck down by Boulder," when he said this, murmurs of outrage rumbled through the clan. Tigerclaw continued, "But Redtail killed him with his final breath as he gloated over his victory. Redtail's death was not in vain. I don't believe that ShadowClan will make a grab for prey in that territory for a very long time." With that, Tigerclaw stepped back, allowing all of Redtail's close friend's to groom the dead cat's body for one last time. Dustpaw, Redtail's young apprentice, slunk towards his former mentor, a picture of sorrow and despair. Then Tigerclaw remembered his own apprentice. He hurried off through the crowd, searching for Ravenpaw. He caught a glimpse of the small black cat in the entrance of the medicine cat den, a small cave at the far side of the ravine, and he hurried over. When he arrived he noticed Spottedleaf feeding his apprentice herbs, and Ravenpaw was lying in a nest of soft moss and feathers,

"Hello, Ravenpaw. Are you hurt?" Ravenpaw just glanced at the ground as Spottedleaf answered for him,

"He sprained his paw on his way back to the camp." Tigerclaw was startled,

"How is he? Will he live?" Spottedleaf purred silkily. Other toms practically tumbled head over heals when she did that, but Tigerclaw only found it vaguely annoying,

"Don't you know anything about wounds? He should be as good as new in a few days, happier than a RiverClan cat in a flood." Tigerclaw glanced down at his apprentice, who seemed to be taking a great interest in a beetle that was trundling slowly over the stone,

"Ravenpaw, are you feeling alright? Do you need me to get anything for you?" Ravenpaw shook his head and mumbled something about being tired. Tigerclaw was puzzled. Ravenpaw had an active imagination, and a strong consciousness, but he was rarely this put out. Either his paw was hurting him very badly, or he was feeling guilty about something. Tigerclaw tried to look comforting, which was difficult for a cat of his size,

"Is their anything you want to tell me about?" Spottedleaf glanced up sharply,

"Please leave him alone, he needs rest."

"Spottedleaf, he is my responsibility, I just wanted to make sure that—"

"Leave!" Tigerclaw nodded in consent and padded slowly out of the medicine den. That was strange. He didn't trust Spottedleaf, but she was usually much more composed than this. He shrugged it off. Maybe she had had a tough piece of mouse or something. He glanced around the clearing, which was beginning to empty as the cats resumed their normal duties. He spotted Darkstripe talking to Longtail over a piece of fresh kill, and padded over. Tigerclaw immediately noticed that Longtail's ear had recently been mended.

"Well look who's here, Mr. Grumbly Badger. Has Spottedleaf been yappin' your ears off again?" Tigerclaw sat down beside them with a sigh,

"She's all snappy for some reason. Do either of you know why?" Longtail flicked his tail in confusion,

"She seemed like normal this morning when she patched up my ear." Darkstripe purred,

"You spend the whole time staring into her eyes anyway. You wouldn't notice if she was clawing your nose off." Longtail cast his gaze towards the dirt,

"That's not all true." Tigerclaw held back a purr and changed the subject,

"How'd you get that scratch on your ear?" Darkstripe rolled his eyes,

"That's a tad bigger than a scratch, Tigerclaw. Not everyone is as big as you. Maybe you've spent too much time banging your head against rocks…" Tigerclaw sighed,

"I'll have to be more perceptive. My apologies." Darkstripe purred loudly,

"Mousebrain! I was JOKING! You should know by now never to take me seriously, unless I ask you to." Tigerclaw twitched his ear happily in response. Darkstripe was one of the only cats in the forest who could talk like that to him, period. That's why he was Tigerclaw's most trusted friend. Tigerclaw saw in black and white. Darkstripe could also see the gray. Darkstripe turned to Longtail,

"So, answer his question." Longtail turned to Tigerclaw a bit sheepishly,

"I got in a scrap with the new addition to the clan, I think his name is Firepaw." Darkstripe nodded in agreement,

"Yeah, I heard about him. Isn't he a kittypet?" Longtail scuffed his feet,

"He fights hard for a kittypet. Must be part forest cat or something." Tigerclaw flicked his tail at the younger warriors shoulder,

"You can't win them all." Longtail glanced at him thankfully. Darkstripe's mew was laced with curiosity,

"Why did you fight him?" Longtail replied,

"He pounced first. I was yowling that a kittypet doesn't deserve a place in ThunderClan, and a few moments after I stopped, he just attacked." Tigerclaw knew that young toms were normally very outspoken about their beliefs, so this was no surprise. Then Longtail continued,

"I don't trust that one. He has a shifty look about him. He doesn't seem to care about the cats, he just seems to judge you in a glance, and then move on. I don't like it." Tigerclaw mewed in agreement,

"I don't trust schemers."

"Hey!"

"Except you, Darkstripe, you help me understand schemers."

"Thank you very much, Mr. Mouse Brain."

Bluestar

_He looks so cold... So alone. _Bluestar stared at Redtail's body, surrounded by his friends and family. The fatal wound in his throat was partially hidden by his thick fur, which had been carefully groomed for the last time. Dustpaw sat beside his mentor, looking lost and lonely, his ears flat against his head and his tail lying limply across the dusty dirt.

Bluestar knew she had caused his pain. She had given the order that had killed his beloved mentor. Dustpaw would never forget how it feels to have a cat taken suddenly away. She knew what that felt like. Whitestorm's respectful mew brought her back to reality,

"When are you going to announce the new deputy?" Of course! She had to decide who would be her next assistant before moon high tonight! Who should she choose? Her thoughts turned to Firepaw. That cat was smart. But she wasn't StarClan, she didn't know how this rust colored cat would react to responsibility. Had she even been right to add this kit to the clan? She walked slowly towards her den, staring at the ground.

She padded into her den, enjoying the shade and privacy. Finding a deputy was hard. Not only did she need someone she trusted, but also someone who could lead the clan when she left. Whitestorm was good. But she wanted someone younger, more ready to learn and energetic enough to help the clan. Lionheart was a fair choice. So was Tigerclaw. Darkstripe was out of the question. Most of the warriors would rather roll in crow food than obey him.

She decided to take a walk, maybe clear her head and try to catch a bite to eat for the queens. She walked out of her den, and nodded to Runningwind as she passed him. He nodded, and turned back to guarding. Bluestar bounded quickly through the forest, passing through the trees and weaving through the undergrowth with effortless ease. She stopped at the at the edge of the forest, and noticed that she had run all the way to the shore of the lake. She stared at the bright water that lapped lazily against the sand.

"Hey, psst! Bluestar!" Bluestar was suddenly on alert, her ears swiveling towards the source of the voice. It was Clawface. How did he sneak up on her? The lake had probably covered his stinkin' Shadowclan scent. She turned slowly, not showing her surprise,

"Hello Clawface. You to, Stumpytail." Stumpytail shuffled his feet, staring at the mud that squelched between his claws,

"Y-you're not mad at us?" Bluestar's gaze hardened,

"I'm not mad at all…. AS LONG AS YOU GET OFF OF THUNDERCLAN TERRITORY!" Stumpytail nearly leaped a couple fox-lengths into the air. He would have, if Clawface hadn't stomped on his stubby tail.

"YOW!" Clawface shot him a look that would have frozen the sea,

"Yes, let's just announce our presence to every single bloodthirsty young warrior. That's a great idea! Maybe they'll let us keep all of our legs!" Bluestar had had enough,

"What are you doing here?!" Clawface stared deep into her eyes,

"I think you know." Bluestar was alarmed,

"Already?" Clawface purred humorously,

"What? You haven't had time to think up excuses? You should always do that _before_ you commit murder. It works much better that way." Bluestar's hackles unconsciously rose,

"It wasn't murder!"

"Let's ask Boulder and your little psychopath what they think. Oh wait, they're dead." Stumpytail glanced nervously towards the woods,

"Clawface? Can we just go before that Tigerclaw monster shows up?" Clawface nodded and they waded quickly through the shallows and out towards deeper waters. Bluestar quickly bounded into the murky lake water, heading for the island that was silhouetted against the setting sun. The island had been a place of meeting for the clans for as long as any cat could remember. All four clans would meet on that circle of land in the middle of the lake under the protection of the full moon and share news. Most cats saw it as a place of peace and calm. But when all of the Code-Bound cats had gone, and when the moon was not quite as bright, it was a place of dark shadows and even darker secrets. Bluestar pulled herself onto the damp sands of the small island. It was bare except for half a dozen pines and a few lonely boulders.

Bluestar glanced to her right in time to see the two ShadowClan cats pull themselves from the water. She tensed her muscles, ready to fight. ShadowClan might be nice and cowardly in the full sunlight, but once the night drives the sun from the sky, and the world is enveloped in darkness, those cats were invincible. Bluestar turned her nervous blue eyes towards the dying sun.

"What's wrong pretty? You scared of the dark?" Clawface's mew was scornful… and terrifying. Bluestar shot him a hard glare, her bright eyes glinting in the darkness,

"Don't call me that if you like both of your eyes."

"What have we here? Have you decided to grace us with your presence, Bluestar?" Bluestar turned to see Whiteclaw standing on a rock, silhouetted against the moon. So, Riverclan had arrived. Bluestar ignored his jibe,

"Where's Mudclaw?"

"He was… detained."

"Will he live?"

"Maybe. Hopefully. Probably."

"You need to be more careful! He's the only WindClan cat who knows about us! Remember the code!" Whiteclaw purred,

"Bluestar, in case you forgot, us even meeting here is against the Warrior Code. That's why we keep it secret, remember?"

"This is different, we're helping our Clans. That's the only reason I still come."

"You keep telling yourself that, Bluestar." Bluestar licked her paw and slicked it slowly over one ear,

"Let's get started." Whiteclaw decided to go first,

"All's well in RiverClan. We're having some disagreements with WindClan, but let's hope that Mudclaw got the message…. Nobody steals fish from our river." Clawface stood slowly and mewed confidently,

"Shadowclan is having some trouble finding food. You know how kits are, like little endless pits." Bluestar spoke up quickly,

"Sorry, but ThunderClan isn't doing amazingly well food-wise either. We can't help you." Her tone was hard as rock, not showing any weakness. Whiteclaw spoke up,

"I can get you some fish, if that's ok." Clawface looked slightly relieved,

"That's fine. Nobody will complain." Whiteclaw blinked smugly,

"I bet no ShadowClan cats would complain if we fed you a mound of crowfood covered in dog dirt." Stumpytail spoke low, but Bluestar was surprised at the menace in this young warrior's mew,

"I must not have heard correctly, could you please say that… One. More. Time?" An emotion flashed across Whiteclaw's brow, and he took an unconscious step back. He quickly recovered,

"Of course, I need payment."

"Name it." Whiteclaw extended his claws daintily, and gazed at them lovingly as he continued,

"10 stalks of catnip."

"But-"

"Of course, you could always argue…" Stumpytail glared at his paws, but said nothing. Clawface cleared his throat with a quick cough,

"It'll be waiting tomorrow night at moon high." Bluestar wished that she had the same leverage that ShadowClan did. They had the most popular source of catnip on their territory, an abandoned twoleg nest. Whiteclaw turned his head and stared straight into Bluestar's eyes,

"So, would you care to… enlighten us on your little incident?" Bluestar glanced at the Shadowclan cats, and saw a mixture of fear and rage. Not an everyday combination.

"Redtail was out of control," she sighed sadly, "He was dangerous. You guys know that he would have killed a cat for a mouse tail. So I asked Boulder to take care of it." Clawface broke in,

"He's a good choice for a job like that, being part rogue and all. He was one of our best warriors. How could Redtail beat a cat twice his size?" Bluestar nodded politely. Now was not the time to make cats angry. When these cats got angry, things got shredded,

"That's what I thought. Redtail would be taken by surprise. Killed before he could fight back. It's horrid, I know, but I had to do it. According to Tigerclaw, Boulder _did_ kill Redtail. Unfortunately, he gloated too soon. Redtail cut his throat with his final breath." Bluestar kept the story short. No need to go into detail. If the others thought ThunderClan leadership was weak, this superficial peace wouldn't last. Whiteclaw was her biggest threat. The dark cat sat thoughtfully for a minute, then asked,

"Why didn't you do it yourself?"

"I didn't become the leader of ThunderClan because of my size or battle skills."

"I see." There was a brief moment of silence. Then Clawface spoke up,

"I think she had good grounds for what she did. Just don't try it to anybody outside your clan… get my drift?" Bluestar nodded gratefully to him. She would have to repay him. It's better to make friends than enemies. Whiteclaw nodded too,

"I think this meeting is over. Get home safely, and don't lick any badgers." Bluestar turned to say good bye to the ShadowClan cats, but they had already disappeared. Whiteclaw was walking back to Riverclan territory when Bluestar worked up the courage to ask him a question,

"Where's Oakheart?" Whiteclaw turned, his tail twitching mischievously,

"Why do you ask?" Bluestar kept her gaze steady, hoping he didn't notice her embarrassment,

"No reason." Whiteclaw purred,

"He's back at camp. He had guard duty." With that, he slid into the water and swam away. Bluestar sighed and waded back out into the cold, dark water.

**A new chapter will be posted every Friday and Tuesday. Stay tuned!**


	3. Training with the Kittypet

Firepaw

Firepaw sat beside Graypaw, licking the last scraps of meat from the bones of his mouse. The clan food was much better than Twoleg pellets. It was an almost pleasant evening.

Of course, Graypaw didn't seem to understand the meaning of the word quiet, "This mouse is really good, isn't it! I can't wait to see who Bluestar picks as the new deputy! Don't you think that Tigerclaw is awesome?! Remember—" Firepaw managed, with some difficulty, to tone out the annoying babble, and focus on what was important. This Tigerclaw, he was a formidable warrior. If he became deputy, it would be very difficult to take his place. He didn't know exactly how the clans worked, but they probably wouldn't allow a rookie "kittypet" to replace an old veteran.

He glanced up the rock walls of the pit that ThunderClan called home. He spotted the small silver shape of Bluestar descending through the entrance. She would make an announcement, he was sure of it. She jumped up onto the Highledge, and the other clan cats gathered around, "A new deputy must be appointed!" Firepaw rolled his eyes, _What a surprise! I thought that the mouse spirits would bring one down from the moon!_ Bluestar continued,"But first, let us give thanks to StarClan for the life of Redtail. Tonight he sits with his fellow warriors among the stars." Firestar felt like yowling with frustration, _Enough with the spirits! Let's get on with it!_ But he obediently stared up at the stars for what seemed like an eternity, then Bluestar finally continued, "And now I shall name ThunderClan's new deputy. I say these words before the body of Redtail so that his spirit may hear and approve of my choice." Firepaw closed his eyes tightly, _Don't say Tigerclaw! Don't say Tigerclaw! _"Lionheart will be the new deputy of ThunderClan." Firepaw was thrilled! At least SOMETHING had gone according to plan! He turned to see Greypaw staring expectantly at him. Firepaw sighed, _Fine. I'll play along._

"Why didn't she make Tigerclaw deputy?" He whispered.

Greypaw was ready to answer immediately, and he blabbed, "Probably because Lionheart has been a warrior longer, so he has a lot more experience." Then Firepaw thought, _Hey, isn't Dustpaw un-mentored? Who's going to be his new mentor?_

Then Bluestar spoke again, "Redtail was also mentor to young Dustpaw. Since there must be no delay in the training of our apprentices, I shall appoint Dustpaw's new mentor immediately. Darkstripe, you are ready for your first apprentice, so you will continue Dustpaw's training. You had a fine mentor in Tigerclaw, and I expect you to pass on some of the excellent skills you were taught." Firepaw noticed that Darkstripe seemed very happy with his new charge. He stepped forward and touched noses with Dustpaw in what seemed like an age old ritual. Was that relief in Dustpaw's eyes? Why would Dustpaw be glad to have Darkstripe as a mentor? Something was going on here…

Of course, it was then that Bluestar decided to interrupt his thoughts and say, "I shall keep a vigil with Redtail's body tonight, before we bury him at sunrise." With that, she climbed down from her ledge and lay down next to Redtail's body. That's a little odd…

But then, these cats weren't exactly 100% sane… "Should we sit with them too?" Graypaw shook his head.

Finally, a stroke of luck! "No, only those who were closest to Redtail will share his final night," Graypaw answered in his usual annoying know-it-all way, " I'll show you where we sleep. The apprentices' den is over here." Firepaw hauled himself to his feet and followed the annoying kit through the pit and towards a little den made out of some bushes. It wasn't remarkably big.

"How many apprentices are there?" He asked, trying to sound inquisitive.

"Not many, just me, you, Ravenpaw, Dustpaw, and Sandpaw." Fox-dung. Not even close to the number needed for an open rebellion. Maybe a more covert route was needed…

"So here comes the new apprentice!" Firepaw glanced up, trying to hide his fury at this new interruption. It was a small she-cat, whose fur was tan with only slightly darker stripes that barely stood out. She narrowed her green eyes. Sheesh! Keep your fur on! Of course, he couldn't say that.

So he settled for a lame, "Hello." The young cat, who looked to fit the description of Sandpaw, huffed rudely. Firepaw hated cats like this. They thought it was cool to look like a complete fool.

Obviously, this cat didn't need any help to look like a complete featherbrain. "He smells like a kittypet!" she whined, "Don't tell me I'm going to have to share my nest with that revolting stench!" _Look who's talking!_

"You'll have to excuse her," Graypaw blabbed, "I think she must have a furball stuck somewhere. She's not usually this bad tempered." Sandpaw simply hissed and stomped around a little. Fascinating. So this is what idiots acted like. _I'm glad I'm not one._

"Sandpaw!" Whitestorm had appeared at the entrance to the den. So, Mr. Whitepuddle has decided to shove his nose in my business… again. Whitestorm continued, "As my apprentice, I expected you to be a little more welcoming to this newcomer." So Mr. Bighead was Sandpaw's mentor? He couldn't blame her for being a load of fox-dung.

Sandpaw cocked her head mockingly, "I'm sorry, Whitestorm, I just didn't expect to be training with a kittypet, that's all!"

"You'll get used to it. Now get some sleep." With that, Whitestorm strolled away from the den. Firepaw followed Graypaw's example, and gathered together some moss into a soft pile. With a contended sigh, he flopped onto the heavenly green pile. If they slept like this every night, maybe this place wasn't so bad…

Tigerclaw

Boulder stood tall over Redtail, a confident look on his face. The smaller ThunderClan cat crouched and leaped, his claws latching onto Boulder's side. The larger cat yowled with surprise and spun around, throwing off Redtail. The small tortoiseshell rolled as he landed and came up unharmed and purring crazily. Then Boulder leapt, and Redtail tried to dodge, but Boulder tore open his throat and hurled Redtail onto the grass. Redtail coughed, spitting blood from his open mouth. Boulder casually licked his jaws clean, watching Redtail slowly bleed to death. Then a crazed light appeared in Redtail's eyes. He wasn't dying alone. His claws flashed through the air, connecting with Boulder's neck just below the chin, cutting a vein open. The huge black cat stumbled back, shocked. He tried to stumble back towards the pines, but the blood pouring down from his throat was coating the grass with a sickly shade of red. The warrior collapsed after a few steps, and his legs gave one last spasm before death overcame him. Tigerclaw jerked awake panting. He stood up slowly, careful not to wake his sleeping Clanmates. His heart was pounding, but that didn't affect him. He emerged slowly from his den, taking a deep breath of the sharp morning air. A thing mist coated the forest above, and he spotted the forms of Bluestar and Dustpaw still sitting erect beside Redtail's corpse. Tigerclaw glanced upwards, and decided that he had just enough time to go for a quick hunt before he would have to report to Lionheart for patrols. It was strange that Bluestar had picked Lionheart over him, but he was patient. Bluestar would see his potential soon. He noticed another warrior slide out into the grey morning, and immediately recognized Darkstripe.

He trotted over, "Good Morning."

"Yeah." Darkstripe yawned. He wasn't a morning cat.

"You excited about having your first apprentice?"

"Of course!" All signs of fatigue were instantly gone.

"What will you do first?"

"I'm hoping to join a border patrol, I would like to test his sense of smell. It'll be easier than hunting too, after tonight, he'll be exhausted." Tigerclaw nodded thoughtfully. It was hard sitting vigil all night without sleeping.

Darkstripe sighed, "Sometimes I wonder if the clan wouldn't be better with all of these rituals gone."

Tigerclaw nodded, "You've got a point. But I think it gives cats a sense of stability when the same traditions are always in place, even when everything else is changing." They sat together in silence for a while, two old friends. Then Tigerclaw turned to Darkstripe, "You up for a hunt?"

"Tigerclaw, I'm always ready for a hunt."

When they returned to camp with a couple of mice, Lionheart was already organizing the patrols.

He quickly turned to Tigerclaw, "Thanks for the mice. I wish we had more warriors like you, Tigerclaw."

"That's fine, just go ahead and ignore me."

"Thank you too, Darkstripe. Now, go on hunting patrol with Runningwind. Tigerclaw, you're with me, Graypaw, and the new cat, Firepaw." Tigerclaw nodded his thanks. Lionheart was good at this. Normally it took a couple of days before a deputy was comfortable with assigning patrols. They sat together in the hard packed dirt, politely discussing the habits of voles. What was taking these apprentices so long? Finally, Graypaw bounced out of the apprentices' den, practically dragging Firepaw behind him.

Tigerclaw sighed, "Next time, I expect you both to be more punctual."

"Don't be too severe Tigerclaw; it was a busy night, and I bet that they were tired." Tigerclaw nodded respectfully as Whitestorm explained to Firepaw that he hadn't been given a mentor yet, so he would be training with them.

Tigerclaw stood up and stretched, "Come. Today we are going to show you the edges of our territory, so that you know here you will be hunting and what boundaries you need to protect." They bounded out of the camp and into the forest. Tigerclaw was careful to keep up a good pace, but not make it too fast for the young apprentices. They skirted the Shadowclan border, and Firepaw stared in awe at the pines that were so thick that they seemed to hide the sun. Tigerclaw was careful to avoid the spot of the battle as much as possible. No need to revisit nightmares. They skirted the twoleg place quickly, explaining to Firepaw that warriors didn't mix with kittypets. That was against the warrior code. As they passed the moor that marked the Windclan border, Tigerclaw took an extra careful breath, expertly testing the air for any trace of the lighting fast cats. They were awfully good at killing rabbits, but lately that hadn't been enough for them. Bluestar suspected that they were taking prey. That was something worth fighting over. Luckily, there was no scent. Tigerclaw was glad that they didn't have to fight. Even with Lionheart on his side, it would be hard to keep those two new apprentices safe.

They approached the lake, and Tigerclaw stopped briefly. The grey waves lapped against the sandy shore of the lake. The tiny silhouette of the island sat in the center of the giant lake like a speck of sand in a puddle. The two apprentices were also stunned. The lake was awe inspiring, no matter how many times you saw it.

The dark warrior turned to Firepaw, "This is the lake. It separates us from Riverclan, who are on the other side of the water. That island is where we meet at the full moon. We meet in peace and discuss news."

Lionheart nodded, "In fact, tonight is a full moon. Maybe Bluestar will let you two go." Graypaw purred happily, and jumped around. Firepaw seemed more calm, but he couldn't hide the happy twitching of his tail.

Tigerclaw flicked his tail on Graypaws shoulder, "Come on," he purred, "Let's head back to camp."

When they arrived, it was late. Bluestar was beginning to select cats for the gathering.

She padded up to Tigerclaw, "You're going, Tigerclaw."

"I thought so." With that, Bluestar went away to supervise something. Tigerclaw drifted towards the fresh kill pile. He spotted Darkstripe talking to Longtail, so he padded towards them.

The two cats were locked in a heated debate about the prey that Windclan had been stealing, and Darkstripe looked quizzical, "You know, I bet that they're sneaking in through the river, to wipe their stinkin' scents."

"But they _never _get wet on purpose. I think that they get in and out of our territory so fast that their scent can't stick!"

"That's impossible! Have you been out in the sun too long, Longtail?"

"Whitestorm said that Windclan was fast enough to do that!"

"And that bossy mouse brain knows everything doesn't he? Didn't he tell you that badgers could fly?"

"Are you saying they don't?!" Tigerclaw sat down and listened. There were few things more entertaining than watching Darkstripe when he was mad. Longtail spotted Tigerclaw, "Hey! You going to the gathering?"

"Yah, how 'bout you?"

"I've got guard duty."

"That stinks. Are you coming, Darkstripe?"

"Wouldn't miss it for a lake full of mice! This one's going to get interesting."

Then Bluestar's mew pierced evening, "Everyone that is coming to the gathering, hurry up! Let's not be late!"

Bluestar

_Be calm. Be calm. OK, let's go._ Bluestar led Thunderclan over the log that served the clans as a bridge to the Gathering Island. She tried not to reveal her inner turmoil as she bounded onto the small island. It was comforting to see this place covered with cats. Not even an idiot would attack her with so many witnesses. She nodded a greeting to Crookedstar and Tallstar, who cordially returned the greeting. These cats were experienced and they knew the value of honor and patience. Shadowclan hadn't arrived yet, so she watched as her warriors mingled with the warriors from the other clans, sharing tongues and exchanging some healthy gossip.

A moment later, Shadowclan bounded into the clearing with Raggedstar in the lead. Bluestar greeted the experienced cat with a gracious head nod, but he ignored her gesture and asked the leaders, "So, when are we going to get started? We have much to discuss." Bluestar groaned silently, Raggedstar was mad, and that was not good.

Crookedstar flicked his tail casually, "I'm ready if you all are." They bounded up onto the Great Oak, and prepared to speak.

"Greetings, cats of the clans!" Crookedstar began, "All is well in Riverclan. The fish are swimming fast, and so are our warriors." There were yowls of approval from the Riverclan cats that were dispersed amongst the throng of warriors below them.

Tallstar nodded respectfully and spoke, "Windclan is prospering. Yes, prey might not be running as much as it used to, but that is only making our warriors keener on defending what is rightfully ours." He nodded slowly, signaling that he was finished.

Raggedstar jumped in almost immediately, "Shadowclan is stronger than ever before! Our kits our strong and our warriors are fierce. Unfortunately, Thunderclan decided to test us, and they attacked territory that is rightfully ours! Our warriors fought heroically, but the mangy Thunderclan decided that the land was worth the lives of our warriors. Redtail, Bluestar's own deputy, attacked Boulder, my deputy and Boulder was forced to kill him. But Redtail lashed out and killed Boulder, coating that Shadowclan land in the blood of two of our most glorious warriors. When will Thunderclan learn what is rightfully ours?!" Bluestar flinched. Raggedstar was normally a wise leader, if a little arrogant, but she had never seen him this furious. And he had right to be furious. _I've got to get this right. The peace of the forest rests on your shoulders. No pressure._

She took a deep breath and spoke, "Since before any of us can remember, that strip of land has been fought over by both Thunderclan and Shadowclan. Many cats have fought and died for that strip of land. So are you saying that because your deputy died, it is somehow different? Remember, my deputy died as well. We will never truly know what happened, so let us not break this peace that Starclan has sent us over a tragic accident."

Raggedstar steamed for a moment, glaring at Bluestar with unhidden menace, then he ducked his head, "Very well. It was a tragic turn of events. Let's hope it doesn't become a habit of yours…"

Bluestar cut him off quickly, "All is well in Thunderclan. We have adopted a new clan member!" Murmurs trickled through the crowd, and Bluestar continued, "Yes, it's true that he is a kittypet, but he is strong. He bravely fought one of our warriors, and has proven his loyalty to the clan."

A cry of scorn rang from the ranks of the already angered Shadowclan cats, "I bet he'll turn tail at the first sign of battle! I'd like to fight the cat who thinks a kittypet is worth anything!"

Suddenly, a well known voice pierced the night air, "Is that so? I guess you're too scared to fight the kittypet himself." _Darkstripe!_ Bluestar almost groaned. That cat was getting his whole clan into trouble! Well, atleast he's loyal… A Shadowclan cat jumped up, his tail fluffed. It was Clawface. _This is just getting better and better._

"You wanna fight me you stinking Thunderclan furball?!" The lithe warrior looked furious.

Then a deep voice spoke, and the clearing fell silent, "There's not going to be any fighting here. If you want to disagree, step right up." Bluestar let out a sigh of relief. Tigerclaw to the rescue. Nobody would dare fight against that cat. It would be suicide. Apparently, that's what Clawface thought too because he grudgingly sat back down, ignoring the muted purrs from his clanmates.

"I think this Gathering is over." Crookedstar's mew was tinged with amusement. Bluestar nodded respectfully to the other warriors, and jumped from the tree, landing lightly beside her clanmates. She gave a quick yowl and her warriors gathered around her. Then one by one they slid from the clearing, and headed back to camp.


	4. Yellowfang

Firepaw

_I hate cold lake mornings!_ Firestar felt like clawing the fur off of any cat who was dumb enough to come near him. But that is very difficult to do when you're smaller than most of the other apprentices, so he decided not to even try. Besides, murdering some cat because of a cold morning wouldn't help his image. It was so easy acting good. Just a bundle of simple lies.

At least Graypaw wasn't around to carry on about some random clan custom. It had been two moons since he had joined the clans, and he was on his first solo hunting trip. He hated it. But, again, lying around and doing nothing was apparently unacceptable. Unless of course, you were old and covered in ticks, that was ok for some reason. _When I'm leader, I'm not going to go hunting ever again._ He lifted his head and quickly tasted the air. He caught a trace of vole of to his right, and a moment later the fat brown creature was hanging limply from his jaws. His skills had been improving. Hopefully he could be a warrior soon. Then he could really get his plans underway. Acting nice and polite was getting old fast.

Then the ferns rustled. What was that? Was it just his imagination? Then they moved, swaying side to side rapidly and unnaturally. Firepaw dropped into the vole and fell into an attack crouch, his legs primed to leap. He took a quick sniff of the air. It was definitely a cat, but there was some fox scent hanging around and it prevented him from finding out anything more. He crept forward slowly until he was a fox length from the ferns, and then he leapt with a yowl. He crashed into his attacker, and twisted quickly to slash at the other cat's shoulders. He had barely broken skin when the attacker spun around and crashed into him. They tumbled head over tail for a couple of fox lengths before they broke apart.

When he saw who it was, he groaned,"Graypaw! I thought you were an enemy warrior!"

"It sure felt like it!" Graypaw winced cheerfully. Was that even possible? "You've raked me to shreds!"

Firepaw sighed, "Sorry, but what were you doing creeping up on me like that!"

"That was my best stealth crouch!"

"Stealth?! That was as stealthy as a lopsided three legged badger!"

Graypaw let loose a mock hiss, "I'll show you lopsided!" He leapt playfully at Firepaw. _Oh I hate play fighting._

A few long minutes later, Firepaw broke free, licking his paw and swiping it over his muzzle, "What are you doing here anyway?"

Graypaw was happy to divulge the information, "I'm going to give Windclan a message from Bluestar!"

"That's cool. What's the message?"

"She wants to hook up with a Windclan patrol on the lake shore at sunhigh. Apparently, Shadowclan has been sneaking around and Bluestar wants to check it out." Firepaw nodded thoughtfully. So why was Bluestar acting against Shadowclan? They were always sneaking around, but normally she did nothing. Maybe she knew more than she let on…

"I'll help you hunt if you like!" Firepaw was glad.

The less hunting he had to do the better. "Thanks, Graypaw." They walked for a while, trying to scent out some mice or something.

Then Firepaw noticed something, "Hey, is it just me, or does that fox scent smell fresher?"

Graypaw took a deep whiff, "You're right!" _Of course I'm right! _

He scanned the undergrowth, and spotted a flash of orange, "Look, is that one?"

Graypaw inhaled sharply, "Yep. And it's too close for my taste…" Firepaw stopped listening and stared closely at the creature. It had a vicious pointed muzzle, and a fluffy tail. It looked a lot like a dog, but its eyes shone with intelligence that no dog had. It hadn't noticed them, but still it was very close. After a few minutes, it left, sliding silently into the brush. Graypaw gulped, "Those things will attack the nursery! We should let Bluestar know!"

Firepaw nodded distractedly, "Yah, but it's pretty far from camp. We can wait a while."

Graypaw nodded, "I guess so." It's a good thing Graypaw wasn't smart. It would be difficult to get things done without a puppet.

They had a long afternoon hunting, and eventually Graypaw headed for the Windclan border to deliver his all important message. Firepaw padded back towards camp, a couple mice held firmly in his jaws. He was in the middle of a very entertaining day dream of Whitestorm and Lionheart being struck by lightning when he caught the scent of another cat. Intruder! He dropped his prey and crept behind a bush. It definitely wasn't Thunderclan. It didn't carry any specific clan scent. It appeared to be an old she cat. Suddenly a weight landed on his shoulders, and claws dug into his sides. Firepaw dropped and went limp, faking a submission.

The other cat howled with triumph, "A young apprentice! Easy prey for Yellowfang!" Firepaw surged upwards, taking the other cat by surprise. She stumbled backwards, winded.

Firepaw snarled with fury, "Not so easy, huh?"

The intruder, who was apparently named Yellowfang, hissed back, "Not bad, but you'll need to do better to take me down!" Firepaw got a good look at the dirty cat before him. She had a broad face, with two orange eyes and torn ears. Her fur was dirty and matted. She didn't look like she groomed often. Even if she did, it wouldn't make much difference.

Firepaw growled dangerously, his hackles rose, "This is Thunderclan turf. Keep off!"

Yellowfang bared her stained and broken teeth, "You gonna make me, kit?" Firepaw decided this had gone on long enough. He put on his best Tigerclaw glare, and hissed with as much fury as he could muster. It wasn't great, but it was enough to put off Yellowfang. She took a step back, "Now, let's not jump to conclusions…" _Not so brave now, huh?_ He leapt towards the mangy cat, a yowl springing from his jaws. He swung his paw, and it connected hared with the side of Yellowfang's head. She stumbled backwards, confused, and Firepaw leapt forward and chomped down on her leg. She yowled with pain and tore her leg free, quickly twisting to face her opponent. She leapt forward, swinging a wild swipe at his face. Firepaw ducked under the blow and launched himself into her stomach. She grunted and fell to the ground, winded. Firepaw sprang at her, ready to finish the fight. A good hard bite in the neck should do it. Hopefully. But Yellowfang wasn't as weak as her skeletal frame implied. She shot up her legs, throwing Firepaw into a gorse bush. He cursed under his breath and shot to his feat, trying to ignore the thorns tearing into his fur. This cat was _so_ dead. Yellowfang was on her feet again, and she still had three very sharp paws. Firepaw knew she had experience on her side. Time for honor to go bye-bye. He leapt at her, but instead of doing the traditional swipe-grab he twisted so that his muscular back slammed into her face. Yellowfang yelped with surprise, her head slammed up. Then gravity kicked in, and Firepaw landed heavily on his opponent's paw. She howled with pain and tried to take a step back, only to fall. Firepaw was on his feet in a second, and he was pleased to see that one of her paws now appeared to be sprained, and another was bitten. He stepped forward snarling, "You finished?"

"Never!" Firepaw rolled his eyes. Some cats should try using logic once in a while.

Yellowfang tried to stand, only to fall again, "If I wasn't so tired there would be nothing left of you except a red puddle!" The she cat's mouth twisted in pain, "Go ahead, finish me off!" Firepaw stepped forward, ready to finish it, and then he stopped. This cat had guts. Maybe she could be a good ally… "What are you waiting for? You're dithering like a kittypet!" Firepaw growled.

These kittypet taunts were getting old, "I'm an apprentice of Thunderclan!"

Yellowfang snorted, "Don't tell me Thunderclan is so desperate that they're recruiting kittypets now! Actually, I'm not that surprised…"

Firepaw reluctantly jumped for the bait, "Thunderclan is not desperate!"

"Prove it! Finish me! You'll be doing me a favor!"

Firepaw twitched his tail mockingly, "You seem in an awful hurry to die, oldy."

Yellowfang was on the defensive again, "Well, that's my business fox dung! Are you trying to talk me to death." _Pretty much._ Firepaw could smell sickness and hunger emanating from her. Firepaw thought for a minute. He could kill her easily, and he knew he wouldn't feel very sorry. Then again, she seemed smart. It would be nice to have somebody around that wasn't a complete imbecile. Anyway, keeping her alive would be the best revenge for the moment. He could always reconsider.

"Wait here."

Firepaw turned away and Yellowfang let loose a rusty purr, "Yeah, I'm going to just run off on you." She dragged herself to a patch of heather and started licking her injured paws. Firepaw padded back and scooped up his two mice. He picked them both up and stalked back to Yellowfang. She glanced up at him,

"I thought you were fetching your little warrior buddies."

Firepaw dropped a mouse at her feet, "Eat." Yellowfang gave a quick nod of thanks before she practically inhaled both mice. When she was finished, she sat up with a satisfied purr and began to wash.

Firepaw half listened to her babble, "That stuff is much better than that kittypet mush they give your brothers isn't it?" Firepaw only nodded. This cat had fought with warrior techniques. They weren't the powerful blows of Thunderclan, or the complex body throws of Riverclan. He hadn't had training with Windclan or Shadowclan techniques, so it could be either of those… Suddenly Yellowfang tensed, "Warriors!"

Tigerclaw

"Intruder!" Darkstripe was the first to scent it. Tigerclaw took a whiff, and sure enough there was a strange scent tainting the air. Tigerclaw turned to his friend. The black cat had one of the keenest noses in all of the clans.

"Can you tell what clan?"

"Not positive, but it smells mostly of Shadowclan. Firepaw's with 'im, but he's not fighting. Wait a sec', there's definitely a scent of blood." Tigerclaw assessed the situation quickly. Firepaw could be injured, and there was an unknown possibly Shadowclan cat in the area. He turned to the rest of his patrol. He had Runningwind, Darkstripe, and Bluestar with him. He received a nod from Bluestar, giving him the OK to take charge. He mewed quietly.

Stealth was of the essence, "We're going to cut that cat off. Darkstripe, you get between him and the ShadowClan border. Runningwind, take the left. Bluestar, would you like to take the front, or should I do it?"

Bluestar flicked her tail quickly, "I'll take the front, but thank you for offering." Tigerclaw nodded quickly and flicked his tail, sending his patrol the go. The slipped off as silent as shadows, and quickly surrounded the two cats. Bluestar stepped into the open, and the rest of the patrol followed suit. Tigerclaw was surprised by what he saw. Firepaw was sitting beside Yellowfang, who was supposed to be the medicine cat of Shadowclan. What was she doing here, looking like she had rolled around in a gorse bush? The ground was torn up and it looked like they had just been fighting. The old cat looked startled. Bluestar spoke low, but she didn't sound happy, "Firepaw? What have we here? An enemy warrior and recently fed, by the smell of you both."

Firepaw seemed tongue tied, which was rare for him, "Well, uh, she looked tired and sick, so, um…."

"And what about you?" Bluestar mewed coldly, "Was your hunger so bad that you had to feed yourself before you had gathered prey for your Clan? I assume that you have a _very_ good reason for breaking the warrior code." Then she turned to Yellowfang, "Well, it looks like you have captured us a Shadowclan cat. And one I know well. You're Shadowclan's medicine cat, aren't you? What are you doing so far into Thunderclan territory?"

Yellowfang sniffed indignantly, "I was the Shadowclan medicine cat. Now I choose to travel alone."

Tigerclaw flicked his tail, "Looks like you fell on hard times if you can get beaten by an apprentice."

Darkstripe glared at Firepaw, showing a trace of his rare anger, "The kittypet has broken the warrior code. He must be punished!"

Bluestar mewed casually, "Keep your claws in, Darkstripe. All of the clans speak of Yellowfang's bravery and wisdom. It may help us to hear what she has to say. Come; we'll take her back to camp. Then we'll decide what to do with her-and with Firepaw." She turned to Yellowfang, "Can you walk? Or do you need help."

Yellowfang bared her yellow fangs, "I'm fine!" She dragged herself to her feet, and limped forward. Bluestar took the lead, and Yellowfang followed quickly after her. Tigerclaw brought up the lead, not comfortable with this turn of events. It's never a good idea to let your enemy into your camp. Shadowclan were a tricky collection of fox hearted scoundrels. He didn't trust them as far as he could throw a badger.

Luckily, they made it back to camp with no incidents. Tigerclaw climbed down the steady slope and into the camp. Cats gathered around, curious about the new visitor. He heard some of the elders grumbling about certain idiot kittypets hunting for loners. News traveled fast.

Willowpelt bounded towards him, eyes wide, "What's she doing here?"

Tigerclaw quickly explained, "She says she got kicked out of Shadowclan. I don't really believe her."

"Why not?"

"Her name's Yellowfang, and she's the medicine cat for Shadowclan. I don't see why they would banish her, unless she's a spy. But remember, Bluestar is treating her as a guest, so don't do anything you could regret later."

Willowpelt nodded eagerly, "If she tries anything, I'll turn her to crowfood!" Tigerclaw smiled at the eager warrior, and glanced over at the nursery hoping to catch a glimpse of Goldenflower. His beautiful mate had been tired the past few days, and Tigerclaw was starting to get worried. What if something was wrong? Would she be OK? He fought the urge to hurry over. They had to be careful when they met. You could never be sure who was watching, and if any of his more vile enemies found out about them… He shook himself. Stop thinking like that. If anybody tries to get near her, they would lose a few limbs. If they were lucky.

Darkstripe snapped him out of it, "Come on, Tigerstar. Let's grab a mouse or two." Tigerclaw followed him, vowing silently not to take too much prey. There were better uses for it than stuffing his face.

When they had finished a meager meal, Tigerclaw padded towards the medicine den. Ravenpaw had to be better now. It had been so long since the battle. How could he possibly not be able to train?

He quickly spotted his apprentice, basking in the sun outside of the small entrance, "Ravenpaw! Are you ready to train?" Ravenpaw suddenly found his paws very interesting.

"I dunno," he mumbled, "Ask Spottedleaf." Tigerclaw was puzzled. His apprentice wasn't exactly the bravest cat around, but he wasn't normally like this.

Before he could ask his apprentice what was going on, a voice sounded behind him, "Greetings, Tigerclaw. Now what can I do for you?"

Tigerclaw turned slowly, "Hello, Spottedleaf. Now would you please tell me if my apprentice is ready to continue his training."

Spottedleaf purred, her bright eyes laughing, "Oh, I suppose he can continue. Just don't push him too hard." Tigerclaw motioned to his apprentice with his tail, calling him over.

Bluestar

Why did it have to be so hard to be a leader? Why couldn't it just be simple? Bluestar sighed as she watched the swarm of cats surrounding Yellowfang, pelting her with questions. Bluestar closed her eyes, gathering her thoughts, _What should she do? Was it too late to throw Yellowfang out of the territory? Could she let that cat to join the clan? And what to do with Firepaw? And then there was the incident with Windclan…_ She cleared her throat quickly and swiped a nervous paw over her muzzle, smoothing out her whiskers.

She climbed up to the highledge that jutted from the giant walls that surrounded the camp, "Let all those old enough to catch their own prey join together for a clan meeting!" The cats reluctantly yanked their attention from Yellowfang and gathered underneath the highledge. They gazed expectantly up at their leader. Bluestar continued when she saw that every cat had come, "I'm sure you have all heard about the prisoner we brought back with us today! But there is something else you need to know," She glanced down at Yellowfang, "Can you hear me from there?"

"Of course I can you impudent snip!" Bluestar forced herself to stay calm, but some of her clanmates growled and muttered, no doubt longing to shred the loner.

Bluestar continued to speak before anything got out of control, "I'm afraid I have some… grave news. Today I traveled with a patrol into Windclan territory. The air was filled with the scent of Shadowclan. Almost every tree had been sprayed by Shadowclan warriors. And we met no Windclan cats even though we journeyed deep into their heartland," She glanced at her clanmates. She noticed that Darkstripe's eyes widened with surprise, while the other cats were still puzzling over the story. It was good that Thunderclan had bright warriors like him.

One of the elders, Smallear, spoke up in a rusty mew, "Do you mean Shadowclan has chased them out?"

"We can't be sure. Certainly the scent of Shadowclan was everywhere. We found blood too, and scraps of fur. There must have been a battle, but thankfully we found no bodies from either clan." An outraged yowl rose from the collection of cats.

"How many Windclan cats have been driven out?" One-eye demanded, "Shadowclan is fierce, but Windclan is many. They have lived in the uplands for generations. Why have they been chased out now?" Bluestar shook her head. She didn't know the answers that mattered.

She felt useless as a leader, "I don't know the answers to any of your questions. It is well known that Shadowclan has recently appointed a new leader after the tragic death of Raggedstar last moon. Their new leader, Brokenstar, gave no hint of any threat when we met him at the last Gathering."

"Hey!" Darkstripe yelled from the mass, "Maybe Yellowfang has the answers! She's Shadowclan after all!"

"I'm no traitor!" The old she cat growled, "Nothing would make me share the secrets of Shadowclan with an idiot like you!" Darkstripe shot her a sharp glare.

Bluestar spoke up before things could get ugly, "Stop! That's enough! This situation is too serious for us to be fighting amongst ourselves. Thunderclan must prepare itself. From this moonrise onward, warriors will travel in larger groups. Other Clan members will remain close to the camp. Patrols will travel the borders more frequently, and all kits must stay in the nursery." _Was this too extreme? Could she really ask her clan to give up a good portion of its freedom?_ But Starclan seemed to be feeling gracious. The other cats nodded, and not one complaint arose. She took a deep breath and continued, "Our need for warriors is our greatest obstacle. We shall get around this by speeding up the training of our apprentices. They need to be ready to fight even sooner." She glanced at the group of apprentices huddled together near the front of the crowd. They seemed to be ready to explode with excitement. No complaining there. Now for the shocker, "One young cat has been sharing mentors with Graypaw and Ravenpaw. By teaching him, I shall speed up the training of all three apprentices. I shall take Firepaw as my own apprentice." Suddenly, every cat was mewing at once. Some were furious that a kittypet would be trained by the leader. Others thought that this was a sign that Firepaw was fully excepted by the clan. And some thought that Firepaw _shouldn't_ be fully excepted by the clan.

Then Tigerclaw stepped forward, nodding politely, "I mean no disrespect, but shouldn't Firepaw be punished for his actions? What if he sees this as a reward for feeding strangers before he feeds his clanmates?"

Bluestar stared into his eyes sharply, "Firepaw is _my _apprentice, Tigerclaw. Do you suggest I can't deal with him myself?" She added that last part sharply, and Tigerclaw bowed his head, a sign of submission to her authority. _You got to be more careful with that tongue of yours! _She made a mental note to make amends with Tigerclaw later. She continued her speech with more respect, "Yellowfang will be allowed to stay here until she has recovered her strength. We are warriors, not savages. She is to be treated with respect and courtesy." There were groans and yowls of protest from the crowd.

Someone called in a croaking voice, "But the clan cannot support Yellowfang! We have enough mouths to feed."

Yellowfang wasn't helping, "I don't need any help! Anybody tries to help me, and I'll rip them to tiny bits, and feed those bits to a badger! Then I'll rip the badger to bits and throw it in the river!"_ Creative isn't she?_

Bluestar called out again over the noise, quieting the crowd, "We shall kill two prey with one blow, as it were. Firepaw, as punishment for breaking the warrior code, it will be your responsibility to care for Yellowfang. You will hunt for her and tend her wounds. You will fetch fresh bedding and clear away her dirt." The yowling died down and the cats seemed more ok with this solution. All, of course, except Firepaw. His eyes were fixed on hers, and a fury glinted in them that made her catch her breath. Then, as quickly as it had come, the moment passed.

Firepaw bowed his orange head, and murmured something along the lines of, "Yes Bluestar." Bluestar dismissed her clan with a wave of her tail. As the cats dispersed, flowing back to their various nooks and crannies,

Bluestar added, "I would like to speak to my senior warriors." She leapt down from highledge, landing lightly on the dusty floor. Whitestorm, Lionheart, Darkstripe, and Tigerclaw gathered around her. It was comforting to know that these powerful felines guarded Thunderclan from harm. She waved her tail, gesturing for them to follow, and padded towards her den. She swept past the thin screen of lichen, and nodded for them to sit. They all sat formally, with their heads up and tails politely wrapped around their paws.

Darkstripe spoke up quickly, "I assume you don't want to talk about the weather, do you?"

Bluestar shook her head, suddenly tired, "That would be nice, but no. We have to deal with Windclan. We can't let Shadowclan think they can disrupt the order of the forest."

Tigerclaw blinked, "We don't know if they even did it. Let's not jump to conclusions."

Whitestorm rolled his eyes, a very immature gesture, "What more evidence do you need?! Their scent is soaking up the territory, and I doubt even Windclan would let another clan mark their territory like that."

Lionheart nodded, "I agree. We must act."

"What do you propose?" Bluestar mewed, the thought of more battle making her weary. Why did these things have to happen? Times were hard, but not _that_ hard.

"An attack," Lionheart growled, "We hit them hard at their camp, and chase them out of Windclan while they're still wondering what hit them!"

Whitestorm bared his gleaming fangs, "None of the clans can beat Thunderclan in the forest! Our warriors are twice as muscular, and almost always bigger!" Bluestar nodded her head, hope forming. It could be done! They would restore peace to the forest! And that would help Thunderclan, _If we defeat Shadowclan, they wouldn't dare intrude on our borders for atleast a dozen moons!_ It would work, and then—

Darkstripe purring cut into her thoughts.

He was shaking with mirth, "You actually think this could work?"

Whitestorm shot him an icy glare, and Lionpaw hissed, "Well, fox dung, what's wrong with that? You saying Thunderclan isn't strong?"

Darkstripe stared right back, and his mew was dripping with sarcasm, "Oh, holy Lionheart! You will be remembered by your ancestors as the first cat to _ever_ try and attack another clan's homeland! What an absolutely _revolutionary_ idea!" He purred some more, and Tigerclaw joined in, realizing where his friend was going. Well, nobody else seemed too happy. Darkstripe continued, "Yes, Thunderclan may be the best fighters at forest warfare. Yes, we might even have the strongest warriors of the clans. But do you think Shadowclan can't defend their own borders? Do you think that no cat has tried to take over them before? And we well know that those cats _failed_! Shadowclan are sneaky. Sure, we might hit them hard. We might even cripple a warrior or two. But what about the next night?" Bluestar intook a sharp breath as realization struck. Darkstripe carried on, "Have you ever heard the rumors? The shadows with claws? The kits that disappear? The prey destroyed? The lone elder killed on a quick forest walk? Shadowclan are the masters of the shadows. The kings of the night. The lords of fear. They might not be the strongest warriors, but they're the shadows within the shadows. It's not worth the risk."

Bluestar didn't like it, but he was right. She nodded her head, "You're right, of course. But we have to do something."

Tigerclaw spoke for the first time, "We can't get too involved. That could start an all out war. But we could assist Windclan. That way, all Shadowclan has to do is back off, and everything goes back to normal."

Lionheart was in a grumbly mood, now that his plan had been torn to pieces, "But where did they go? We traveled almost all the way to their Riverclan border, and we didn't find a single Windclan whisker."

Bluestar mewed, "Well, I think we just have to live with it. Maybe when they see us trying to help, Windclan will return from hiding."

Whitestorm sighed, "Well, I guess that's all we can do." And with that, the meeting was ended.


	5. The Beautiful Fox

Firepaw

Firepaw glanced up at the sky, noting the position of the sun. Time for a good, long sleep, and maybe a mouse or two. The one he'd had in the forest hadn't filled him up. He was about to make a beeline for the fresh kill pile when an idiot decided to speak up,

"I'd go see Yellowfang if I were you. She doesn't look happy!" Firepaw took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. _You can't murder him,_ he told himself, _Yet._ He saw that Yellowfang had taken a seat near the back of the camp, under a gorse bush. It was just his luck that he had to deal with Yellowfang AND Bluestar. It seemed like everyone was out to get him! He reluctantly padded towards her,

"Wish me luck," he mumbled.

"You'll need all of Starclan on your side for this one! Call me if you need a paw. If she looks like she's gonna have you for lunch, I'll hit her with a stiff rabbit!" Graypaw wandered away, purring at his own joke. _He's crazy._

Firepaw put his head up and forced a happy expression onto his face.

He trotted towards the old furball, and she noticed him quickly, "Stop right there, _kittypet!_" Firepaw swallowed his rage.

His list of things to kill was growing quite fast, "You can call me what you want. I'm just obeying Bluestar, so how 'bout you learn when to shut your muzzle, eh?"

Yellowfang's ears pressed against the sides of her head, and she hissed furiously, "You _are_ a kittypet aren't you? You're soft, like warm milk!" Firepaw ignored her this time, just staring down at her. She squirmed under his gaze, "Kittypet blood isn't the same as warrior blood. Why don't you run home to your Twolegs now instead of looking after me? It's humiliating, being fussed over by a lowborn cat like you!"

"You'd still feel humiliated if I were a stinkin' warrior born cat! You'd feel_ ashamed _whether I was a precious she cat from your own stupid clan or a wretched Twoleg that picked your sorry flea bitten hide off the ground! It's the fact that you have to rely on _any_ cat that you find so humiliating!"

Yellowfang searched his face with her big orange eyes, and then began to make a low, wheezing purr, "You got guts, kittypet. Now, I'm tired, and my leg hurts. I want sleep. Get me some goldenrod poultice for my leg from that pretty medicine cat you've got around here. Get me some poppy seeds too, the pain is killin' me!" Firepaw padded off towards the medicine den, glad to be away from the old fleabag. He trotted through the rocky clearing, and past a few cats. He quickly reached the cave that served as the entrance to the medicine den. He swept a nervous paw over his muzzle, and entered. He saw Spottedleaf over in a corner, checking her herbs and sorting through them. She had an orange and brown tortoiseshell coat that caught the light that streamed from the cracks in the ceiling. She heard him, and glanced up, her amber eyes locking with his. Firepaw wasn't usually tongue tied, but now he was. He broke eye contact and stared at his paws, quickly reciting Yellowfang's list of herbs.

Spottedleaf watched him intently the whole time. When he had finished, she nodded, "I've got most of those in my den. I'll fetch some marigold too. It'll help keep off infection." She disappeared into the shadows of the cave, and he could hear her shuffling through her stores of herbs. She reappeared a minute later, her jaws laden with delicious herbs.

She dropped them at his feet, careful not to damage the leaves, "Tell Yellowfang to go easy on the poppy seeds. I don't want to entirely deaden the pain. A little pain can be useful, to help me judge how she's healing.

Firepaw picked up the herbs and backed out of the den, "Thanks Spottedleaf!" Firepaw trotted back through the clearing, his head high and a skip in his step. He realized how stupid he looked, and stopped quickly. These forest cats would look for an excuse to kick him out of the clan. He couldn't let them have that pleasure. He glanced towards the warriors den, and found Tigerclaw's eyes fixed on his. The huge warrior stared at him, a mixture of curiosity and amusement on his face. Firepaw nodded in his direction and kept walking. That cat was the model warrior. _He could be a useful ally when I become clan leader._ He padded up to Yellowfang, and dropped the bundle of herbs in front of her.

She sniffed the herbs quickly, and then nodded, "Good. Now get me something to eat, I'm starving!"

Tigerclaw

Ravenpaw had been acting strange. Whenever Tigerclaw spoke, he would flinch. He was always looking over his shoulder, and wasn't able to concentrate. Ravenpaw had never been the best apprentice, but at least he had used to try. Tigerclaw sighed as he watched his black apprentice slink towards the fresh kill pile.

He turned to Darkstripe, who was fondly watching Dustpaw play fighting with his fellow apprentice, "I don't get it, Darkstripe."

The dark cat turned, puzzled, "What don't you get? The fact that I'm handsome and dashing while you look like a mound of fox dung?"

Tigerclaw purred and took a playful swipe at his friend, "No, I meant Ravenpaw. Normally, he's more cheerful than this."

"Maybe it's the nervous atmosphere. He was always a little… twitchy." Tigerclaw couldn't deny that. The clan was nervous. Ever since Windclan's disappearance, they had been preparing for a full scale Shadowclan invasion. The queens wove branches into the nursery to fortify it. A couple warriors stood guard at the entrance to the ravine, ready to shred any unwanted guests. Tigerclaw didn't think that Shadowclan would be mouse brained enough to assault Thunderclan, but Brokenstar seemed like a shifty cat. _If he sets one paw on Thunderclan territory, there'll be nothing left of him except a couple whiskers._

It had been a long day of patrolling, and Tigerclaw felt like his paws would fall off. He was glad that it was finally time to rest. The sun was setting, casting a red glow that enveloped the camp. Cat's began to wander to their dens, hoping to catch a few winks before night patrols. Tigerclaw spotted Longtail stifling a huge lawn as he shambled towards the warrior den. The apprentices were droopy, refusing to sleep only because they didn't want to waste any of their precious spare time. Bluestar looked more strained than ever. This business with Shadowclan would have to stop. It was running the clan into the ground. There was only one way out of it.

"I wish that mound of fleas would give us some information," Darkstripe sighed, "If Yellowfang doesn't help out soon, we'll all be dead on our paws." He emphasized this with a yawn.

Tigerclaw was angry, an emotion that he normally tried to stifle, "She was bad enough to get kicked out of _Shadowclan_ and we're inviting her to eat our prey and use up our precious herbs!"

Darkstipe agreed, "As far as we know, she's a spy." Just then, a yowl rang out across the clearing. The fleabag was hungry. Tigerclaw watched as Firepaw prepared to take her a mouse, but then, unexpectedly, Graypaw picked up two mice and trotted towards Yellowfang. Was he cutting in on Firepaw's punishment? Did that orange sweet talker somehow convince Graypaw to be his slave?

_Not on my watch, _"Graypaw! Were are you taking those mice?" The young cat stopped short. Tigerclaw continued, "Not helping young Firepaw by feeding that greedy traitor are you?" He aimed this last barb at Yellowfang. Maybe then she woud learn that not _every_ cat wanted to pamper her. Maybe she would stop being so demanding.

Graypaw looked like a rabbit on the Thunderpath, "No, uh, I was just- just…. Hungry! Yah, I was hungry! I didn't want to share with those greedy furballs over there, or I would have nothing left but fur and bones!"

Tigerclaw wasn't buying it. What a load of mouse dung. Maybe the apprentice would give up if the pressure was increased, "Well, young Graypaw, if you're so hungry, why don't you eat those two mice here and now?"

Graypaw looked trapped, "You mean… Eat them both? Now?"

Tigerclaw nodded, "Yes, NOW!" Graypaw set the two mice onto the ground and began eating at a rapid pace, like he wanted to get it over with. On the second mouse, he had slowed down considerably. _Poor cat. Firepaw must have _really_ convinced him._ When he had finally finished, Graypaw groaned and padded slowly over to sit by his friends. Maybe next time he wouldn't be so enthused about Firepaw's plans.

Darkstripe shook his head, "That Firepaw is a piece of work. It's a good thing that he isn't in charge, or we would be in some real trouble!" Tigerclaw nodded in agreement. There was enough trouble in the clan, without having to worry about any mischief that might come from within. They together silently for a few moments, looking over the new defenses of the camp, the brambles at the top of the ravine, the thorns at the entrance that prevented more than one cat entering at a time. They were ready for Shadowclan. They wouldn't be beaten back like Windclan had been.

Tigerclaw noticed that Darkstripe was quieter than usual. He wasn't speculating about the scenery, or shooting off wisecracks. Tigerclaw new that something was up. Darkstripe was pondering.

Finally, he decided to let Darkstripe explain, if he wanted too, "What's on your mind?"

Darkstripe shrugged, "I've just got a feeling, that's all." Darkstripe's "feelings" were never wrong.

Tigerclaw turned to face the dark grey cat, "What is it?" Darkstripe turned his head and looked deep into Tigerclaw's eyes, as if wondering whether or not to reveal some deep, dark secret.

After a few moments, he mewed, "Have you noticed anything odd about Bluestar lately?"

Tigerclaw thought about this a minute, "Well… She's been having lots more walks in the woods than she used too. She seems more tired than she normally is, but I guess that's because of Shadowclan."

Darkstripe nodded, glad that he wasn't alone, "That's true. Have you noticed anything else?"

Tigerclaw had known his friend long enough to know that Darkstripe was looking for an answer, "Hmmm. Well, she looks a bit touchy, and sad almost."

"Would you agree that she looks a little guilty? Because I'd say she does. In fact, I'd say she's looked guilty ever since Redtail's death."

"Darkstripe!" Tigerclaw hissed, "Are you crazy! Bluestar is are leader! She wasn't involved in her own deputy's death in any way!" He was furious. How _dare_ Darkstripe make such a proposition. He took a deep breath, "Besides, you have no proof."

Darkstripe flicked his ears like he was trying to bat away an annoying fly, "I know, it's probably just a silly thought. But… just… be careful. If you notice anything strange, you know, tell me." Tigerclaw nodded. He knew nothing would come of this, but it was better to humor his friend than lose him.

He stood up and stretched, "Goodnight, Darkstripe. I think I'm gonna catch a nap."

As he padded towards the warrior den, Darkstripe called after him, "Just remember, Tigerclaw. The clan must survive, even if the leader is false!"

Bluestar

The night was a dangerous place. You never knew what could be lurking in the shadows. Bluestar shuddered as she lay out under the stars. She hated the darkness, but it was better than dreaming. Starclan seemed determined to make her go insane.

"Trouble sleeping, Bluestar?" Bluestar's heart skipped a beat, but she was determined not to show fear.

She sat up slowly, "Hello, Spottedleaf." The beautiful medicine cat purred. She walked up from behind Bluestar, and sat down beside her. Bluestar stared up at the stars, trying to ignore the cat beside her. Spottedleaf did not inspire confidence.

Then the medicine cat spoke in a silky mew, "So, what's the news from your little club?" Spottedleaf knew about everything that happened in the forest somehow, but she refused to join the cats that Bluestar had joined. She claimed that it was because her position would make it difficult to attend the secret meetings. Bluestar suspected that Spottedleaf had greater ambitions than just helping her clan.

And she didn't want to share them. "Oh, nothing much."

Spottedleaf purred, "You and you're little friends can't agree on anything, can they?" Bluestar refused to comment, and after a moment of silence, Spottedleaf continued, "You know, Firepaw is a smart little cat." Bluestar sat silent. Spottedleaf purred, as if Bluestar were a cute kit, "I have a funny feeling that you didn't pick him for his courage or his fighting skills. I didn't buy any of that mouse dung." She leaned in close, and her breath battered Bluestar's muzzle, "I think you might see in him what I see in him. You see intelligence. But you don't see the other side of him. The side that could unite or destroy the clans."

Bluestar whipped around and snarled, "You don't know what you're talking about, fox!"

Spottedleaf didn't even flinch, "Oh, Bluestar. I think you'll find that you're the one who is mistaken." She licked her paw and swiped it daintily over her ear, and then she stood up, and padded gracefully back to the medicine den. Bluestar winced as she watched the cat disappear into the shadows. Bluestar had many enemies, but Spottedleaf was the only cat that truly scared her. She was a cat who didn't need claws to maim. She had her tongue. And her looks. In this forest, a pretty face mattered more than the wisdom of StarClan. Bluestar stood up with a heavy sigh. She was tired. Maybe it was worth a few nightmares to get a good nights sleep.

Bluestar blinked open her eyes, and was surprised to see the first rays of sunlight piercing the darkness of the den. She hadn't had a single nightmare. She now felt much better, ready to face the problem of Firepaw. She stood up and stretched, then stepped out of her den and into the ravine. Lionheart was organizing patrols, and the warriors and apprentices were gathering around him, ready to receive their orders. Bluestar scanned the camp for her apprentice, and spotted him emerging from the apprentice's den. He yawned and licked his chest fur flat before setting off to find Yellowfang.

"Good morning Bluestar!" She turned to see Speckletail standing before her, her eyes beaming.

She nodded, "Good morning, Speckletail. How are your kits?"

Speckletail purred at the thought of them, "They're growing well, Bluestar. They'll be great warriors some day!"

"I'm sure they will be. Is there something I could help you with?"

Speckletail slashed her tail, "Yes Bluestar. It's Yellowfang! She snapped at my kits for no reason the other day! She's scaring them with her hissing and such." That wasn't good. Yellowfang could at least be kind to kits!

"I'll talk to her."

"Thanks Bluestar!"

The queen was turning to leave when Bluestar remembered Firepaw, "Speckletail, would you mind fetching Firepaw for me?"

"Sure, but who's going to watch Yellowfang?"

"Would you mind doing that? She can groom herself, but could you just fetch her fresh kill and do any other minor favors she might ask?"

The queen's eyes filled with alarm, "But Bluestar, she's so smelly and-" she stopped when she remembered who she was speaking to. She took a moment to regain her composure before she mewed, "I'll do it Bluestar." She padded over towards Firepaw.

"Thank you!" Bluestar called after her. Then she sat down and began to groom, licking her chest fur so that it would lie flat. A moment later, Firepaw bounded up, clearly curious.

Bluestar let him wait a few moments before she spoke, "How is Yellowfang this morning?"

Firepaw sighed, like this wasn't the way he hoped the conversation would go, "Her bedding is wet, so I was going to fetch her some more."

Bluestar straightened up, "I've asked one of the queens to do that. Is she fit enough to hunt for herself yet?"

"I don't think so. But she can walk fine."

Bluestar nodded slowly, "I see." Then she decided to get on with it, "It is time you for you to return to your training, Firepaw. But you'll need to work hard to make up for the time you lost."

Firepaw's eyes lit up, "Great! I mean, thank you, Bluestar!"

She continued, "You will go out with Tigerclaw, Graypaw, and Ravenpaw this morning. I've asked Tigerclaw to assess the warrior skills of all of our apprentices Now hurry, and join your companions. I expect they're waiting for you."


	6. The Gathering

Firepaw

Firepaw almost purred as he bounded out of Bluestar's den and towards the spot where Tigerclaw was waiting with Ravenpaw and Graypaw. Firepaw felt great. Now he didn't have to take care of that mangy excuse for a cat, Yellowfang! He also wanted to become a warrior as soon as possible. Once he was a warrior, he could get an apprentice. Once he got an apprentice, he could become the deputy. Once he became deputy, well, it would be a simple affair to become leader. Killing a cat was never complicated. With that thought, he approached his two fellow apprentices.

Graypaw seemed happy to have someone to talk to, "So, you're joining us today!"

Firepaw shrugged, with no great desire to continue the conversation, "Yah, Bluestar told me that Tigerclaw is going to asses us today. Aren't Sandpaw and Dustpaw coming too?"

Graypaw babbled on, "Whitestorm and Darkstripe took them out on a warrior patrol. I suppose Tigerclaw is going to look at them later."

"Come on!" mewed Ravenpaw, "We should get going!" That was strange. Since when was being late such a problem? Now that he thought about it, Ravenpaw looked like he new something…

Graypaw, as usual, interrupted his thoughts, "OK! Hopefully, some exercise will warm me up!" Firepaw shuddered. The morning dew felt like ice, and it was already soaking his legs. They trotted towards the spot where Tigerclaw was waiting. The dark warrior looked tired, but he had taken the time to groom his fur.

He nodded as they approached, and cut right to the chase, "Lionheart and I have spent the last few weeks trying to teach you how to hunt decently. Today, you'll have a chance to show me how much you have learned. Each of you will take a different route and hunt as much prey as possible. And whatever you catch will be added to the fresh kill pile, so _no_ eating. Understood?" Firepaw's heart beat faster, but he willed himself to hide his emotion. The other two apprentices were practically jumping up and down with excitement. Tigerclaw seemed to ignore it, "Ravenpaw, you will go toward the forest near the clearing, on the other side of the abandoned twoleg place. That should be easy enough since you had less training then the other two on accout of your injury." Ravenpaw nodded his thanks, his eyes bright with rare excitement. Tigerclaw turned his gaze towards Graypaw, "You will take the route along the stream that runs our Windclan border." Graypaw bounced from one paw to another. Tigerclaw shifted his paws to look directly into Firepaw's eyes. Firepaw marveled that so much danger and wisdom could be in one glance. No wonder nobody argued with this cat. He was so busy thinking, he almost missed the warrior's instructions, "And finally you, Firepaw. What a shame your great mentor couldn't be here to witness your performance for herself. You shall take the rout through the old twoleg path, past the abandoned twoleg nest, to the woods beyond." Firepaw nodded, easily mapping the rout in his head. He always payed careful attention to the layout of Thunderclan territory. Tigerclaw gave his final instructions to the apprentices, "And remember, I shall be watching all of you." Ravenpaw sprinted away in the direction of the Ancient Oak. Firepaw watched him go, and saw Tigerclaw slide into the forest, heading in another direction._ That's smart. Now we don't know who he's watching._

"See ya!" With that, Graypaw bounded off into the forest. Firepaw stopped to sniff, the air, in no hurry to move. Then he padded off towards the old twolegplace. As he followed along the old path that had long been claimed by the wild, he kept a careful watch for prey. He didn't want to fail this test. He wanted to prove to Bluestar that he could help the clan if he wasn't stuck with Yellowfang all the time. Maybe he should have killed that cat. Oh well, at least Tigerclaw was overseeing the assessment. He was mildly intelligent, a genious compared to his clanmates. Whitestorm would spend the whole time over by the lake, mooning over his reflection.

Firepaw stopped when he reached the old twoleg nest. There was usually plenty of prey here.

Firepaw spotted a mouse scrabbling in the leaves on the ground. He dropped effortlessly into the stalking position and crept forward noiselessly. The mouse was oblivious to him until his final leap. He caught with one paw and swiftly killed it. Then he buried it under a tree and forged further into the territory.

Firepaw felt himself growing thirsty, but there were no puddles in sight, so he continued on without stopping.

As he neared twolegplace, Firepaw felt his senses opening up. Her could hear a group of young twolegs playing in the woods up ahead, boisterous and noisy. _Noisy mouse-brains!_ Firepaw skirted carefully around them, keeping to the undergrowth.

Firepaw continued to be alert, partly for prey, but mostly for Tigerclaw—was the warrior watching him now? Firepaw's ears pricked as a twig snapped somewhere near him. He thought he saw Tigerclaw's dark pelt in the bushes ahead, but then noticed a flash of white. Crouching low to the ground, Firepaw drew in a deep breath. The cat's scent was unfamiliar; he wasn't from any of the Clans. The fur along Firepaw's spine bristled. _An intruder to chase out!_

Firepaw stepped closer, carefully stalking the cat. He watched as it moved through the ferns and bracken. Firepaw slowly shifted his weight to his haunches. Then he sprang.

The black-and-white cat gave a terrified yowl and fled. Firepaw gave chase, excitement pulsing through his veins. _I'll teach that mange-pelt to trespass on my territory!_ The apprentice gained on the kittypet rapidly. Then, with a final leap, Firepaw landed on the trespasser's back.

Firepaw dug his claws into the kittypet's fur, but the terrified cat managed to break free and shot up against a tree. There he cowered, eyes huge and fur fluffed out.

Firepaw unsheathed is claws, feeling disgust at the intruder's easy surrender. But as he stared down the kittypet, he realized that something about it seemed familiar. _I don't recognize the scent,_ he told himself. _And yet…_ Then it came to him.

"Smudge!" he meowed, half out of surprise.

"H-h-how d-do you kn-know my n-name?" Smudge stammered. Firepaw sat down, his fur falling into a sleek ginger pelt. _He's still got the courage of a mouse, obviously, _the apprentice thought contemptuously. Firepaw lifted his paw slightly. This was his chance to get rid of the coward once and for all.

Then he stopped. What if Tigerclaw was watching? If Tigerclaw saw him kill Smudge, it would ruin the perfect image Firepaw had worked hard to make. Firepaw sheathed his claws. "You don't have to worry. It's me." Smudge stared at him, obviously confused. "We were kittens together. I lived in the garden next to you."

"Rusty?" Smudge mewed in disbelief. "Is that you? Did you find the wildcats again? Or are you living with new housefolk? You must be, if you're still alive!"

"I'm called Firepaw now," the apprentice answered, barely able to keep the spite out of his voice. _Of course I'm not living with twolegs! Is he blind?_

Smudge relaxed, his ears pricking up.

"Firepaw?" he echoed in amusement. "Well, Firepaw, it looks like your new housefolk don't feed you enough! You certainly weren't this scrawny last time we met!"

"I don't need twolegs to feed me," Firepaw replied. "I've got a whole forest of food to catch and eat."

"Twolegs?"

"Housefolk. It's what the Clans call them."

Smudge looked perplexed for a moment; then his expression changed to complete astonishment. "You mean you're really living with the wild cats?"

_It took you long enough to figure that out! _Firepaw thought scornfully. _Of course I am!_

"Yes," he answered out loud. Then something struck him. "You smell different. Unfamiliar."

"Unfamiliar?" Smudge repeated. "You probably just don't recognize my smell. I suppose you're used to the smell of those wildcats now."

Firepaw shook his head. "No, that's not it. We were kittens together. I should know your smell like I knew my mother's." Then Firepaw remembered something. Smudge had passed six moons. No wonder he was so different. "You've been to the Cutter!" Firepaw gasped, for once forgetting the scorn he felt for Smudge. "I mean, the vet!"

"So?" Smudge mewed, shrugging his shoulders. Firepaw was speechless. _Is this what I would have become?_ he wondered. _It's a good thing I left when I did!_ Smudge interrupted his thoughts. "Come on, then? What's it like, living wild? Is it as good as you thought it'd be?"

"I know who I am now," Firepaw answered. He had no intention of telling Smudge anything else, and he knew that Smudge, simple-minded fool that he was, wouldn't think to inquire further.

Smudge tipped his head to one side, obviously still confused. Finally he mewed, "I should be getting home. Mealtime soon." _Is food the only thing you ever think about?_ Firepaw wondered.

"Go carefully," he said as Smudge turned to go. "And stay alert. There might be another cat in the area who is not as fond of kittypets—I mean, house cats—as I am." The last thing Firepaw wanted was for Smudge to be caught by Tigerclaw and blurt out their entire conversation.

Smudge's ears flicked nervously as Firepaw's words. He looked around cautiously before leaping up onto a fallen tree trunk.

"Good-bye, Rusty," he meowed. "I'll tell everyone at home that you're okay!"

"Bye, Smudge," Firepaw replied, forcing himself to sound cheerful. "Enjoy your meal!" He watched the white tip of Smudge's tail disappear into the distance.

Firepaw turned and started back toward his own home. _I'll find a bird or two here,_ he decided. _Then I'll catch something else on the way back to the clearing. If that doesn't impress Tigerclaw, I don't know what will!_ He felt proud and energetic after seeing what he'd avoided by leaving.

Firepaw looked up into the branches and lowered down into his stalking position. _If I can just impress Bluestar, _he thought. _Then things will be perfect._

Tigerclaw

Tigerclaw watched, disbelief etched on his face, as Firepaw talked with the black-and-white kittypet he called Smudge. When he'd seen Firepaw begin chasing the kittypet, the last thing Tigerclaw had expected him to do was end up sharing tongues with it.

_What can this mean? _Tigerclaw's thoughts screamed. _Is Firepaw a traitor after all? Why in StarClan is he talking with a _kittypet_?_ Tigerclaw was sure of one thing: _Bluestar _has_ to know about this. _

Tigerclaw turned and started silently away. He had started out tracking Graypaw, then looped back to follow Ravenpaw. From there, he had circled around to watch Firepaw—and that was when he had seen Firepaw and the kittypet.

Tigerclaw padded into the clearing and sat down. A few minutes later, Firepaw returned, gripping a chaffinch between his teeth.

"You're the first one back," Tigerclaw meowed as Firepaw dropped the chaffinch as his feet.

"Yeah, but I've got loads more prey to fetch," Firepaw mewed quickly. "I buried it back—"

"I know exactly what you did," Tigerclaw growled. "I've been watching you." Before Tigerclaw could confront Firepaw about the kittypet, the bushes swished, and Graypaw stepped out, carrying a small squirrel.

"Yuck!" he said, spitting it out. "Squirrels are too furry! I'll be picking hairs out of my teeth all evening."

Tigerclaw paid little attention to Graypaw's complaining. "Ravenpaw's late," he observed. "We'll give him a bit longer before we return to camp."

"But what if he's been bitten by an adder?" Firepaw asked. Tigerclaw glared at him. _Hypocrite! You wouldn't care if he _had_ been bit. _

"Then there's nothing we can do," Tigerclaw replied. "Besides, there's no room for fools in ThunderClan." He glared coldly at Firepaw as he said this.

They waited in silence. Graypaw and Firepaw exchanged glances. While Graypaw seemed genuinely worried, Firepaw didn't appear to care much. Soon, Tigerclaw was lost in his own thoughts—mainly thoughts about Firepaw's loyalties.

Tigerclaw scented Ravenpaw a moment before Firepaw did. The apprentice jumped to his paws as Ravenpaw leapt into the clearing. Tigerclaw noted that Ravenpaw looked unusually pleased with himself. _And he should be._ Dangling from the black apprentice's mouth was the long, diamond-patterning body of an adder.

"Ravenpaw! Are you okay?" Firepaw called, sounding uncharacteristically concerned.

"Hey!" Graypaw meowed, bouncing up to admire Ravenpaw's catch. "Did that bite you?"

"I was too quick for it," Ravenpaw purred proudly.

"Of course you were," Firepaw purred with him. Tigerclaw fixed the ginger apprentice with a cold stare, and all three apprentices fell silent.

"Come on," Tigerclaw said shortly. "Let's collect the rest of your prey and get back to camp."

Tigerclaw led the apprentices into camp. As the apprentices went to add their catches to the fresh-kill pile, Tigerclaw headed toward Bluestar's den. He needed to talk to her immediately.

"Bluestar?" Tigerclaw mewed at the entrance.

"Come in." Tigerclaw pushed through the curtain of lichen. Bluestar was curled up at one end of the den. She sat up when Tigerclaw came in.

"How did the assessment go, Tigerclaw?"

"Very well, Bluestar," Tigerclaw answered. "Graypaw was skillful, even though I sent him up the stream. And Ravenpaw caught an adder!"

"What about Firepaw?" Tigerclaw hesitated. Darkstripe's warning echoed in his head. How would Bluestar react if he told her?

Tigerclaw mentally shook himself. This was _Bluestar_. She would react fairly no matter what her apprentice had done.

"His assessment was… interesting," Tigerclaw mewed. "I sent him up near twolegplace to see how he would react. He started out well—but then he found a kittypet in the woods."

Tigerclaw paused, but Bluestar nodded. "Go on."

"Well, Firepaw started out well—chasing the kittypet out of the territory—but he ended up sharing tongues with it." The surprise was evident on Bluestar's face.

"Really?"

"Yes." Bluestar thought this over for a moment.

Then she mewed, "Tell Firepaw to come to my den, please."

Tigerclaw dipped his head. "I'll tell him." He padded out and toward the apprentices' den.

As Tigerclaw approached, he heard the apprentices discussing the upcoming Gathering.

"And this Gathering till be an important one," Firepaw was saying. "It'll be the first time the Clans have met since WindClan disappeared. No cat knows what ShadowClan is going to say about it."

"You are right, youngster," Tigerclaw said, shouldering his way into the den. Ravenpaw and Graypaw jumped as he entered. "By the way, Firepaw, Bluestar wants to see you." The flame-colored apprentice looked up at him, startled. "Now—if you can spare the time." Firepaw jumped up immediately and bounded across the clearing toward Bluestar's den.

Tigerclaw left the apprentices' den and headed for the fresh-kill pile. He glanced quickly around the camp. The only cat in sight was Mousefur, whom he trusted completely, so Tigerclaw grabbed two mice from the pile and padded over to the nursery.

As he squeezed into the sheltered den, he easily spotted his mate, Goldenflower. The beautiful golden tabby was curled around their two kits, Swiftkit and Mistkit.

"Tigerclaw!" Goldenflower sat up, excitement shining in her yellow eyes. "Look, kits." Swiftkit and Mistkit scrambled up. Mistkit was a golden tabby like his mother, while Swiftkit was black and white.

"I brought dinner," Tigerclaw said, setting the two mice down. "How are the kits, Goldenflower?"

"Yellowfang yelled at me!" Mistkit declared, his green eyes widening. "Just for nudging her!"

"Is that so," Tigerclaw mewed, settling down next to Goldenflower. "And what did you do then?"

"I clawed her nose right off!"

"No you didn't, mouse-brain," Swiftkit said, shoving against his brother. "You ran inside and hid behind Speckletail."

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Now, now," Goldenflower purred. "Quiet down, you two. You don't want to wake Frostfur's kits, do you?" Goldenflower glanced briefly at Tigerclaw, and the warrior could see that she wanted to discuss something with him. "Now, it's time for bed."

"Fox-dung," Swiftkit mewled, nestling into Goldenflower's side.

"Where did you learn that word?" Goldenflower asked, shocked.

"Dustpaw said it the other day," the kit replied.

"That's a dirty word," Goldenflower chided him. "I don't want to hear you saying it ever again."

"Okay, Goldenflower." A few minutes later, Mistkit and Swiftkit were asleep. Tigerclaw watched his sons fondly.

"Was I ever that mischievous?" Goldenflower's whiskers twitched as she replied.

"As I recall, you gave Leopardfoot even more trouble."

"Then again, _my _father wasn't around to visit me." Goldenflower's amusement was replaced by worry.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about." The queen looked at Tigerclaw worriedly. "I don't know how much longer I can keep this a secret. Just the other day, Frostfur asked me who the kits' father was. Cats are starting to suspect."

"That I'm your mate?" Tigerclaw meowed.

"No—although you're lucky that neither of the kits look like you, or they _would _think that. But what they actually think—it's much worse. I heard Brindleface and Whitestorm gossiping the other day, and some cats think—some cats think that my mate might be in another Clan."

"Of course they don't think that!" Tigerclaw exclaimed, horrified. _How could they think that! How could they think that Swiftkit and Mistkit are halfClan?_

"I'm just saying that maybe it would be easier if they knew."

"It wouldn't be safe," Tigerclaw insisted. "I do have enemies."

"But the nursery is the safest part of camp! It's so hard to attack."

"I didn't just mean outside the Clan." Tigerclaw sighed. "You've only got a moon or so until they're apprentices, and then everyone can know. Just wait."

"I'll try."

Tigerclaw nuzzled his mate gently. "I knew you'd understand." He stood, gently brushing Mistkit with his tail-tip. "Now I should go."

"Try to come again soon." Tigerclaw nodded as he left the nursery. He would certainly try. He loved Goldenflower—and Swiftkit and Mistkit—with all his heart. _I just want them to be safe. Kits can be stolen. Queens can be killed. I can't let Goldenflower be a weakness to me. I can't._

Bluestar

Bluestar led her Clan's representatives through WindClan territory, careful to keep to the three-tail-length limit, though the territory was empty. ShadowClan might be fox-hearts, but ThunderClan weren't.

_I hope things go well, _Bluestar thought. _This will be the first Gathering since WindClan disappeared. Brokenstar will have to say something about it. _The new ShadowClan leader had been ruling for only a few moons, ever since Raggedstar had died mysteriously. Brokenstar had a way of making Bluestar's fur bristle. _And I hope we get time to mingle. Maybe…maybe Oakheart will be there._ Bluestar lifted her tail, gesturing for ThunderClan to stop. Then, at Bluestar's signal, they rushed down, across the log bridge, and onto the island.

Bluestar leapt up onto a low branch of the leaders' tree. Crookedstar and Brokenstar were already there. Tallstar, and WindClan in general, were nowhere to be seen.

ThunderClan cats were mingling with other Clans through the clearing. Bluestar scanned the cats and quickly spotted Oakheart. _There he is! I have to talk to him after the Gathering. Maybe he'll have more news of—_Bluestar's thoughts were interrupted by a whisper from Crookedstar.

"Brokenstar would like to start," the tabby leader whispered.

"But we can't start yet! WindClan haven't arrived."

"That's what everyone else thinks," Crookedstar replied softly, motioning with his head to the unsettled cats in the clearing. "And _I_ think it's your job to smooth it over for them." Bluestar's hackles began rising at Crookedstar's veiled command before she realized that he had just given a passable compliment on her diplomacy. She nodded to him and stepped forward to speak.

The moonlight washed over Bluestar's grey pelt, turning her silver and commanding the attention of all the cats in the clearing.

"Cats of all Clans, welcome," she meowed, careful to keep her voice clear and even. "It is true that WindClan is not present, but Brokenstar wishes to speak anyway."

Brokenstar padded noiselessly over to sit next to Bluestar. His orange eyes swept over the crowd for a moment.

Then he began. "Friends, I come to speak to you tonight about the needs of ShadowClan—"

But he was interrupted by several impatient voices from the crowd. "Where is Tallstar?" cried a tom that Bluestar recognized as Whiteclaw.

"And where is WindClan?" yowled another cat that Bluestar didn't know.

Brokenstar stretched to his full height, tail lashing. Bluestar flinched as the kinked tail almost slapped her in the face.

"As leader of ShadowClan, it is my right to address you here!" he growled, his voice full of menace. The crowd fell into silence. Even from her perch, Bluestar could smell the acrid scent of fear. Brokenstar went on. "We all know that the hard time of leaf-bare, and of a late new leaf, have left us with little prey in our hunting grounds. But we also know that WindClan, RiverClan, and ThunderClan lost many kits in the freezing weather that came so late this season. ShadowClan did not lose kits. We are hardened to the cold north wind. Our kits are stronger than yours from the moment they are born. And so we find ourselves with many mouths to feed, and too little prey to feed them."

The crowd listened anxiously, still silent.

"The needs of ShadowClan are simple," Brokenstar finished. "In order to survive, we must increase our hunting grounds. That is why I insist that you allow ShadowClan warriors to hunt in your territories." A shocked but muted growl swept through the crowd of cats.

"Share our hunting grounds?" Tigerclaw yowled, outrage in his voice.

"It is unprecedented!" cried a tortoiseshell queen from RiverClan. "The Clans have never shared hunting rights!"

"Should ShadowClan be punished because our kits thrive?" yowled Brokenstar from his perch in the tree. "Do you want us to watch our young starve? You _must_ share what you have with us."

"_Must!_" spat Smallear furiously from the back of the crowd.

"Must," Brokenstar repeated. "WindClan failed to understand this. In the end, we were forced to drive them from their territory." Snarls of outrage burst from the crowd, but Brokenstar's caterwaul rang loud above them. "And, if we have to, we will drive you all from your hunting grounds to feed our hungry kits."

The crowd was instantly silenced. Bluestar swept the gathered cats with her eyes, watching her warriors. Tigerclaw, Darkstripe, and Whitestorm were glaring at Brokenstar, rage filling their eyes. Willowpelt was whispering something in Runningwind's ear, with the tom listening intently. Firepaw… A shiver passed though Bluestar. Firepaw was staring up at Brokenstar, interest filling his gaze. Bluestar remembered what Tigerclaw had told her about the assessment. Spottedleaf's words rang in her head. _But you don't see the other side of him. The side that could unite or destroy the clans._ Another shiver ran through Bluestar's body, causing Crookedstar to give her an odd look. _What's going through his mind right now? _Bluestar wondered, watching her apprentice carefully. _Maybe Spottedleaf was right._

Satisfied that he had every cat's attention, Brokenstar continued. "Each year, the Twolegs spoil more of our territory. At least one Clan must remain strong, if all the Clans are to survive. ShadowClan thrives while you all struggle. And there may come a time when you will need us to protect you."

"You doubt our strength?" Tigerclaw hissed, pushing his way forward to glare boldly at the ShadowClan leader. Bluestar inhaled silently. She hadn't seen Tigerclaw this angry for moons.

Fortunately, Brokenstar ignored the warrior and continued with his speech. "I do not ask for your answer now. You must each go away and consider my words. But bear this in mind: Would you prefer to share you prey, or be driven our and left homeless and starving?"

The gathered cats looked at one another in shocked disbelief.

In the pause that followed, Crookedstar stepped forward. "I have already agreed to allow ShadowClan some hunting rights in the river that runs through our territory," he meowed quietly.

Horror and humiliation rippled through the RiverClan cats at their leader's words. Bluestar herself was shocked that Crookedstar had allowed this. _He must be truly scared of Brokenstar. Should we be as well?_

"We were not consulted!" a grizzled silver tabby cried.

"I feel that this is best for our Clan. For all the Clans," Crookedstar explained, his voice now heavy. "There are plenty of fish in the river. It is better to share our prey than to spill blood fighting over it."

"And what of ThunderClan?" Smallear demanded, moving forward to sit near Tigerclaw. "Bluestar? Have you, too, agreed to this outrageous demand?"

Bluestar unwaveringly met Smallear's gaze. "I have made no agreement with Brokenstar except that I shall discuss his proposal with my Clan after the Gathering."

Brokenstar glared at Bluestar for a moment before turning back to speak once again. "I also bring news that is important to the safety of your kits. A ShadowClan cat had turned rogue and spurned the warrior code. We chased her out of our camp, but we do not know where she is now. She looked a mangy old creature, but she has a bite like TigerClan."

Bluestar's hackles began to rise. Was Brokenstar talking about Yellowfang?

"She is dangerous," the ShadowClan leader went on. "I warn you—do not offer shelter to her. And—" Brokenstar paused dramatically. "—until she is caught and killed, I urge you to keep and close eye on your kits." A nervous growl rippled through the ThunderClan cats. Bluestar could tell that they were thinking the same thing she was: _He means Yellowfang! _But Bluestar knew something else about the old she-cat. _Moons ago… she turned against Mudclaw and Whiteclaw when they invited her to join our group. She said that StarClan would never forgive us for what we were doing. Yellowfang would never spurn the warrior code!_

ShadowClan warriors began to push their way through the throng of cats. Brokenstar leapt down from his perch and his warriors surrounded him. They crossed the narrow bridge and headed back toward ShadowClan territory.

Bluestar turned her attention to her Clan. The elders had gathered and were talking in low voices, no doubt about Yellowfang and Brokenstar's speech. Bluestar leapt down and headed toward Tigerclaw.

She needed to keep the Clan from turning into a lynch mob, but she couldn't pass up the chance to talk to Oakheart. "Tigerclaw—could you lead the Clan back to camp for me? I need to discuss something with Crookedstar." Tigerclaw dipped his head and turned to gather the Clan. Bluestar veered around and headed for the mass of RiverClan cats. As ThunderClan poured off of the island, Bluestar came up alongside Oakheart and brushed him with her tail-tip. The red-brown warrior turned, saw her, and nodded slightly. Bluestar turned and headed out of the clearing and into a small hollow sheltered by oak trees and juniper bushes.

A minute later, Oakheart pushed through the bushes and sat down near Bluestar. "Bluestar. It's been a long time."

"Well, I'm busy, and you weren't at the last Gathering."

"I couldn't come," Oakheart replied, giving her a quick lick on the shoulder.

"But Crookedstar knows! Why couldn't you?"

"Crookedstar might know, but the rest of the Clan doesn't. There's that." Oakheart moved over to brush pelts with Bluestar. She leaned over to brush back.

"How are Graypool's kits?"

"They're hardly kits anymore," Oakheart replied. "Stonefur is a great warrior now, as is Mistyfoot. They both had to stay behind for guard duty, unfortunately."

Bluestar pulled away from Oakheart.

"I should go," she said, standing. "My Clan will need me."


	7. Look Who Showed Up

Firepaw

Firepaw streaked through the forest, ignoring the branches that lashed out at him. He needed to do something! He didn't quite know what he was going to do, but he would figure that out later. ShadowClan was practically asking permission to invade the other clans! And they were trying to get Yellowfang out of the clans… Why? He had many questions, and he knew of one cat who could answer them. As long as his clan didn't murder her first.

He bounded down into the camp, coming to a skidding halt in front of Yellowfang, "Yellowfang! Wake up; it's important!"

The cat's orange eyes opened, surprisingly alert, "I wasn't sleeping. You came straight from the Gathering to me? Maybe you aren't as nice as I thought." _Me?! NICE?! _That cat was definitely out of her mind. Then Yellowfang shook her head and sighed, "So, Brokenstar kept his promise."

Firepaw was curious now, "What do you mean? What promise? Tell me!" Yellowfang had a distant look in her eye.

Was that… sorrow? "Shadowclan's noble leader promised to drive me from every Clan territory," The old cat sat up slowly, "What did he say about me this time?"

"He warned us that our kits were in danger as long as you stayed in our territory. He didn't _actually_ say your name, but all of ThunderClan knew who he was talking about. You have to leave now! You're too important to die!"

Yellowfang looked puzzled, "What do you mean, too important?" Firepaw cursed himself.

He couldn't tell her of his need for information yet, "It's not important. Just hurry up!"

Yellowfang swished her tail angrily, but overall kept a relatively good composure, "They believed Brokenstar?"

Firepaw's temper was wearing thin, "Yes! Darkstripe says you're dangerous, and all the cats are scared of what you might have done while they were away! Tigerclaw's coming back…. COME ON! JUST HURRY UP WILL YOU?!" He nudged her, trying to get her to move her flea-bitten tail. He decided he needed to look innocent right now, or Yellowfang would never trust him, "You wouldn't hurt kits, would you?"

"Would I _what_?"

"Would you hurt the kits?"

Yellowfang spun around and hissed, "What do_ you_ think?" Firepaw glanced over his shoulder.

He could hear angry cats already, "No. I don't believe you would do something like that. Why would Brokenstar say that?" He knew it was too late to get away, but maybe he could wring a bit of information out of her before the mob tore her to pieces. The yowls of cats _was_ awfully loud, "OK, just GO!"

Yellowfang looked calm and collected, "Firepaw, you believe I'm innocent, and I'm grateful for that. If you believe me then others might. And I know Bluestar will give me a fair hearing. I can't run forever, I'm too old. I shall stay here and face whatever the Clan decides for me." She lay back down. Firepaw glanced again over his shoulder.

_Why can't things ever be easy? _"Ummm… What about Tigerclaw? He's so fierce and big, and he might even eat you…" It was a load of fox-dung, but maybe it would work.

Yellowfang just licked her chest fur, "He's headstrong, and he knows the power he has over the other Clan cats, they are in awe of him. But even he will obey Bluestar. Go, Firepaw. Don't make trouble for yourself." Firepaw dashed into the shadows without looking back. A moment later, the clearing was flooded with angry cats, all yowling for Yellowfang's blood. Firepaw spotted Greypaw breaking off from the mob and heading in his direction.

When Greypaw had reached him, the gray striped apprentice whispered, "You went to warn Yellowfang, didn't you?"

Firepaw stared intently at Bluestar as he replied, not wanting to miss anything, "Yes, I did. But she won't leave. She trusts Bluestar to treat her fairly. Did anyone miss me?"

Suddenly, Ravenpaw was at his side as well, "Only us." Firepaw let out a long sigh of relief. He wouldn't get in trouble. He carefully licked his chest fur flat, grooming out as many twigs as possible. _Act perfect, act perfect. _

He heard Willowpelt yowling, "He said a rogue cat would harm our kits! He has to be talking about Yellowfang!" Mews of outrage and fury sprang up from the crowd.

"SILENCE!" Bluestar's yowl cut through the mayhem, and the silence was complete and immediate. Suddenly, a loud screech made every cat turn their heads. Tigerclaw and Darkstripe were dragging Yellowfang from her nest. The hauled her across the clearing and dumped her in front of Highledge. _That'll show her to listen to me!_ Firepaw just wished they could be a bit more rough.

Apparently, Greypaw misinterpreted his tensing, "Wait, Firepaw. Let Bluestar deal with this."

Tigerclaw

Tigerclaw dumped the worthless rogue into the dust. He glared at her. This was _one_ cat who wasn't going even _close_ to the nursery!

Bluestar leaped down from the Highrock, landing lightly before them, "What's going on? I gave no order to attack the prisoner."

Darkstripe bowed his head and murmured, "She wasn't coming with us willingly." Bluestar gave him a quick nod before returning her gaze to her clan. Tigerclaw saw conflicting emotions playing across her muzzle. This was a hard time for any leader. He would be the best warrior possible.

Frostfur returned from the nursery, "We came back just in time! The kits are safe!" Tigerclaw let out a sigh of relief. They were safe. He resisted the urge to cuff Yellowfang. _The scum!_

Bluestar looked tired, "Of course they're safe!" Frostfur was surprised by her leader's tone.

Her blue eyes widened, "We _are_ going to throw her out… aren't we?" Darkstripe was furious.

His mew was deceptively calm, "Throw her out? No, we should kill her here and now." Tigerclaw knew that Darkstripe had been worried about Goldenflower and the kits too. The dark grey tabby was ready to kill in a heartbeat.

Bluestar whirled around and hissed at him, "And _what_ exactly has she done?"

Darkstripe growled, "You were at the Gathering! Brokenstar said she-"

"Brokenstar only said that there is a rogue somewhere in the woods," Bluestar cut in, "He did not mention Yellowfang by name! The kits are safe. For as long as she is in ThunderClan, Yellowfang will not be harmed in _any_ way!" Tigerclaw cursed under his breath. When _could_ they hurt that cat? After she claws a warrior? After she sneaks around the whole camp, gathering information? After she kills a kit? Yellowfang looked thoroughly shaken. _Good._

The scruffy cat cleared her throat, "I will leave now, if you wish it, Bluestar."

Bluestar barely glanced at her, "There is no need. You have done nothing wrong. You will be safe here." Bluestar took a deep breath and glanced around at the surrounding cats, "It is time we discussed the real threat to our Clan: Brokenstar. We have already begun to prepare for an attack by ShadowClan. We'll carry on with those preparations, and patrol our borders more frequently. WindClan has gone. RiverClan has given hunting rights to ShadowClan warriors. ThunderClan stands alone against Brokenstar."

Tigerclaw's pelt prickled with anticipation, "Then we're not going to agree with Brokenstar's demands?"

Bluestar nodded, "Clans have never shared hunting rights before. They've always supported themselves. There's no reason to change this."

"Can we defend ourselves against ShadowClan?" called Smallear from the elder's den, "WindClan couldn't do it. RiverClan won't even try!"

Bluestar called out, "We must try! We will not give up our territory. Not without a fight!" ThunderClan's warriors cheered wildly. Tigerclaw dug his claws into the ground, eager to sink them into the mangy pelt of a ShadowClan warrior. May StarClan help their sorry hides! When the yowling died down again, Bluestar resumed her speech, "I will travel to Moonstone tomorrow. The warriors of StarClan will give me the strength I need to lead ThunderClan through this dark time. You must all get some rest. We have much to do when the sun rises. I wish to speak with Lionheart now." Cats gathered in the clearing, chattering excitedly. Tigerclaw was surprised. Why didn't she want to speak with him and Darkstripe? Maybe they had spoken out of hand. He resolved to ask forgiveness next time he saw her. He yawned. It had been a long night, and it was time for some sleep.

Bluestar

Bluestar awoke the next morning refreshed. She had been too tired to dream. That was good. She stalked out of her den, soaking in the busy sounds of her Clan. It was almost sunrise, and the warriors were being selected for patrols. The grey mist hung over the forest floor, creating a canopy of grey that hung high above the camp. She had reluctantly agreed to allowing Graypaw, Firepaw, and Ravenpaw to travel with her and Lionheart. They would have to pass through what used to be WindClan territory, and it could be dangerous for young cats. Lionheart said that they might need the back up.

As she scanned the dusty clearing for her deputy, she noticed Firepaw standing at the entrance of the medicine den. He looked completely spellbound by Spottedleaf. Bluestar lashed her tail angrily. _Curse her beauty!_ She spotted Lionheart rounding up the apprentices. Good. They needed to get underway. She padded over to the entrance. Doing her best to hide her inner turmoil. There was going to be another one of her… meetings soon. Maybe she could get some information out of Clawface and Stumpytail. They were ShadowClan. Just then, the apprentices approached. Like most cats on their first long journey, they were complaining about the taste of the traveling herbs. They seemed to care more about what filled their stomachs than about the ancient home of StarClan.

She looked down at them, "These herbs will keep your hunger at bay longer. And they will make you strong. We have a long journey ahead of us."

Firepaw glared at her, "Have you eaten yours already?"

Bluestar tried to look peaceful and calm, "I cannot eat if I'm going to share dreams with StarClan at the Moonstone tonight." The Moonstone was an ancient place. Leaders went into the sacred cave to speak with their warrior ancestors. Lionheart bid his goodbyes to them, and they padded quickly out of the camp. The morning had a brisk chill to it, and the dew dripped off of the ferns as the cats brushed past. Bluestar led the way, glancing back at the apprentices every few paces. She knew that they were almost full warriors, but she also knew they were her clanmates. This made them her responsibility. Soon, the woods began to thin out, and the companions approached the stream that served as a border between ThunderClan and WindClan. Bluestar remembered the tale of the leader who had made this the border, sacrificing ThunderClan territory for peace. She wished she could be like him. Have the ability to help her Clan without the assistance of her... Associates. Without having to break the warrior code.

They leaped easily across the river, landing lightly on the other side. It felt... Empty. Even the ShadowClan scent markers were stale. A hare hopped across their path, and Graypaw instinctively dropped into a hunting crouch.

Bluestar waved him off with a flick of her tail, "Even if they cannot enforce it, this is WindClan territory. ThunderClan shall respect that." Suddenly, she caught a strong scent of ShadowClan.

The apprentices smelled it too, "A ShadowClan patrol!"

Bluestar quickly reassured them, "They are upwind. They won't know we're here if we keep moving. But we must hurry. If they move ahead, they'll detect us." They leapt quickly through the grass, careful to remain silent. The stink of ShadowClan slowly faded away, and Bluestar knew that they had gone. The apprentices made the connection a second later, and even Firepaw looked relieved.

They arrived at sunset, and the apprentices were trying not to drag their paws, with varying degrees of success. Bluestar led them up the familiar rocky slope. At the top, the apprentices gasped in amazement. There was a small pool of water below them, the walls of rock making it only accessible from the narrow path they had taken. The water below them glowed with an unearthly light, and a shiver went down Bluestar's spine. This was Starclan's home. The place of her ancestors. The cats stood silently admiring the beautiful sight.

Finally, Bluestar turned to the others, "Wait here. You may rest, but be ready in case ShadowClan tries to interfere. Leaders have a right to travel peacefully to Moonpool, but ShadowClan is unpredictable and dangerous with Brokenstar as leader. Be ready to fight and run." With that, she bounded down towards the Moonpool.

The moonlight reflected off of the water, dappling the surrounding rocks with strange patterns of light. The air was tinged with an ancient sense of mystery. Bluestar remembered when she had first lapped up this water and claimed her nine lives. Would they be mad at her for meeting with the Codeless cats? She lay down on the pebbles beside the sacred water. No, they couldn't be mad. They knew it was just for the sake of ThunderClan. She lapped up some of the water, and quickly dropped off into sleep.

When she blinked open her eyes, she didn't find herself in the hunting grounds of StarClan. The trees were twisted and barren, and the underbrush was riddled with thorns.

"Look who showed up. Wasn't that so nice of her..." Bluestar's hackles rose. She turned slowly towards the source of the voice. The small cat was reclining in the shadows, his red tail draped over his front paws. He purred quietly, almost talking to himself, "She looks so surprised to see me." He stood up and padded towards her, heedless of the thorns that tugged at his pelt. He purred in a lopsided way, "Didn't you know I was dead? Or are you surprised I'm... here?" He purred again in a way that made Bluestar cringe.

She took a deep breath, "Redtail, I'm sorry about what happened. I... Just couldn't trust you. I'm sorry your here."

Redtail batted at a stray bramble, his gaze oddly intent on the plant, "I like it here. So many shadows to hide in... Now the voices can't find me." He ripped the bramble to shreds, snarling happily. Then his eyes narrowed, and his mew dripped with malice, "You betrayed me. You killed me. I watched the blood flowing away from me like a little, bubbling river. Even my own blood was scared of me in the end. You told it to be scared!" He hissed furiously and raked his claws across a black log. Bluestar's mouth dropped open. This cat really was insane. Redtail went suddenly still, "But Firepaw will make everything better. He'll make your blood flee from YOU! Then you'll know how it feels! Then you can talk to me, and you can help me hide from the voices again. You're good at hiding." He began to mutter to himself. Bluestar wished she could just wake. This wasn't StarClan! Redtail turned towards her slowly, "I won't kill you, though. She said I couldn't. She is nice to me. Just like you were. I never thought you would hurt me. You would tell the voices to be quiet, and you give me the biggest mice. No, you won't hurt me. You're nice to me. Bluestar will never hurt me."

Bluestar woke with a start. Her heart was pounding. She leapt to her feet, forcing them to stop shaking. She turned around, and headed for the others. Restail's words echoed through her mind, _Firepaw will make your blood flee from you!_

**Thank you all for keeping up with my story! I went back and corrected some typos/grammar mistakes. Enjoy! **


	8. The Death of a Lion

Firepaw

Bluestar trotted quickly towards Firepaw, and he couldn't help noticing how nervous she looked. Was everybody in the forest so paranoid? That cat, Brokenstar, had the right idea.

She brushed past the apprentices, calling urgently over her shoulder, "Come! We must return to camp!" She dashed away, forcing the puzzled apprentices to scurry after her. They dashed quickly over the rolling WindClan hills, not even stopping to check for ShadowClan activity. Firepaw's legs were weary from the long journey, and the moon was just starting to depart from the sky. He groaned as Bluestar increased the pace once more. Were they running from something? Was something wrong with ThunderClan?

When they finally reached the trees of ThunderClan, Firepaw was relieved. Even Graypaw wasn't talking.

Finally, the annoying apprentice mewed, "I can still smell ShadowClan, even this close to camp!"

Firepaw rolled his eyes, "I bet it's the wind."

Ravenpaw sniffed the air, "Maybe it's an attack!" That cat was _paranoid_! _Seriously, _he thought, _what are the chances of a ShadowClan attack on the same day we head to the Moonpool?_ He trudged a few more steps, and yowling filled the air. An attack. Firepaw groaned. His paws were aching! Bluestar froze, her eyes wild with fear. Then she bounded towards the camp, "COME ON!" Graystripe raced behind her, eager to get into the action. Firepaw let out a long sigh before reluctantly trotting after them. Why did battles always happen at the most _inconvenient_ times?

As Bluestar and Graypaw charged into the camp, Firepaw stopped at the edge of the drop off that surrounded the ThunderClan camp. The clearing was swarming with cats, and the metallic scent of blood was choking. Ravenpaw stumbled past him, charging as timidly as possible into the battle. Firepaw decided that he wasn't going to do that, and leaped onto the nearest ShadowClan warrior. The large tabby queen yowled as he sank his teeth into her leg, and she spun around, snarling. Then he rolled away, narrowly avoiding another pair of battling cats, and attacked the queen from behind, dragging her into the dirt. He raked his claws over her back until she struggled away and ran squealing out of the camp. A paw stomped down on his tail, and he turned to see a pair of large ShadowClan warriors attacking Tigerclaw. Tigerclaw lured them closer to the camp entrance, before routing them with a few powerful strokes of his lethal paws. Firepaw glanced around the clearing, looking for an opponent. He felt utterly stupid just standing around in the middle of his first battle. He spotted a giant ShadowClan warrior attacking the nursery. Firepaw remembered seeing him at the Gathering, his name had been Blackfoot. The vicious warrior easily killed the elder who was guarding the kits, and began scooping the helpless bundles of fur up with ease, ready to carry them back to ShadowClan. Smart move. Cause a diversion, get the kits. He was so busy admiring the ShadowClan tactics, that he didn't see the scrawny tortoiseshell until she was on top of him, clawing at him with razor sharp claws. The tortoiseshell raked his stomach with her hindpaws and Firepaw knew he couldn't pull out of its grasp. So he decided to use some tactics of his own. He went limp, like he was defeated. The tortoiseshell reared up, yowling in triumph. _Not a smart move, mousebrain!_ Firepaw sprang up as fast as he could, sending the tortoiseshell twisting through the air. He spun around and batted at the cat as hard as he could, standing on his hindlegs in a ThunderClan fighting stance. The she-cat yelped as his claws gouged at her muzzle, and she quickly retreated, leaving a trail of blood in the dust behind her. Firepaw reluctantly turned towards the nursery, knowing it would be his duty to guard the kits. _Like I'm not worth more than all of those little furballs combined!_ He bounded halfheartedly towards the bramble bush, and instead of Blackfoot, he found Yellowfang guarding the kits, her fur streaked with blood.

Her eyes glinted with cold danger, "They're okay. I'll protect them." Firepaw turned back to the battle, now feeling utterly foolish. He had ran all that way for nothing. There were only a couple ShadowClan cats left. Darkstripe and Tigerclaw chased them off in no time. Firepaw sat down with a tired groan, and began to lick the blood off of his paws.

Tigerclaw

Tigerclaw watched as the last ShadowClan tail disappeared into the underbrush. Those pathetic mangepelts wouldn't be attacking ThunderClan anytime soon! He sheathed his claws, and turned to see Bluestar preparing to speak.

Suddenly, Frostfur's voice called up from the crowd, "Our kits are safe, thanks to Yellowfang. A ShadowClan warrior killed brave Rosetail and was trying to steal them from their nest, but Yellowfang fought them off!"

Firepaw agreed, "It was no ordinary ShadowClan cat either. It was Blackfoot!" Blackfoot had tried to take the kits? That stinking piece of foxdung!

"He can't face our warriors, so he goes after kits and elders?" Darkstripe hissed, "How brave."

The pained look on Bluestar's face ended the hubbub, "Spottedleaf is with Lionheart. He was injured in battle. It looks bad." Tigerclaw's ears flattened against the sides of his head. That cat wasn't trustworthy! She would probably feed Lionheart deathberries or something!

He made as if to stalk towards her, when Darkstripe laid a tail across his shoulders, signaling for him to stop, "Look, you can't do any good there. You'll just make her mad, and she'll do something wrong. You can't stop her. We'll have to trust Spottedleaf this one time."

As if on cue, Spottedleaf sat back on her haunches, "I can't help Lionheart now. He's on his way to join StarClan." Graypaw's yowl of grief hid Tigerclaw's hiss of rage. He would have to talk Bluestar about this!

Tigerclaw helped to fix the camp, and tried as best as he could to encourage the younger warriors, who were stunned by Lionheart's death. By the time everything had been attended to, it was moments away from moonhigh. He spotted Bluestar limping up onto the highledge, and he sat attentive. The rest of the Clan gathered around the highledge as well, ready to hear the news,

"It is nearly moonhigh," the exhausted leader mewed, "And it is once more my duty-much, much too soon- to name ThunderClan's new deputy. I say these words before the body of Lionheart, so his spirit may hear and approve my choice. I have not forgotten how bravely one warrior has fought time and time again. ThunderClan needs his fearless loyalty even more now. Tigerclaw will be the new deputy of ThunderClan." _What? Me?!_ Tigerclaw was shocked as the yowls of congratulations echoed around the clearing.

Darkstripe butted him on the shoulder playfully, "I have to say, Bluestar couldn't have chosen a more stubborn warrior. Or a braver one!" Tigerclaw was in a kind of daze. He had always dreamed of becoming deputy! He padded slowly towards Bluestar, feeling as light as a feather.

He cleared his throat and spoke to ThunderClan, "ThunderClan! I am honored to accept the position of Clan deputy. I never expected to gain such a high rank, but by the spirit of Lionheart, I will serve you as best I can!"

Bluestar

When Bluestar awoke, it was bright outside. She leapt to her feet. It must be almost sunhigh! She had been awake until the dawn, keeping vigil over the body of Lionheart. She had fallen asleep in her den after the elders had carried him off to be buried. Good thing Tigerclaw was deputy. He was one of the last cats in the Clan she could trust. It was time to talk to Spottedleaf. She quickly smoothed out her fur, and walked out of her den. The camp was almost empty, with most of the warriors on patrols. Faint sounds of yowls came from the sandy hollow, where the apprentices were no doubt practicing battle moves. She stalked towards the medicine den, trying her best to not look furious. When she entered, she found the medicine cat organizing her herbs. The small pool of water near the back of the cave cast a web of flickering light across the dark cave, giving it a serene atmosphere. Spottedleaf did not deserve such beauty.

"Spottedleaf!" Bluestar mewed sharply, "Why did you kill Lionheart?"

Spottedleaf didn't even look up, "What makes you think I did it?"

"We both know the truth."

Spottedleaf turned towards Bluestar, her mew silky, "If you know so much, then why can't you see why I… did it?"

Bluestar's claws scraped along the cool stone floor, "All I know, is you killed one of the bravest warriors in ThunderClan, for no apparent reason!"

Spottedleaf purred, "I gave you a way out."

This startled Bluestar, "What?"

"I know you've had trouble sleeping. I've noticed the times when you just seem to… disappear. Cats want to know why ShadowClan attacked. They want to know why Redtail died. And sooner or later, they'll start suspecting you."

"So you think that by killing Lionheart, you make me seem _less_ guilty?"

"No, no, no." Spottedleaf purred, "I make another cat look guilty."

"Who?"

"Who's a cat who no cat is quite comfortable around? Who's a cat that has always been in the same battle in which a cat is killed. Which cat could have killed two experienced warriors with ease?"

Bluestar had a sinking feeling, "You don't mean…"

"Yes. I mean Tigerclaw. If he's a traitor, than no cat will look twice at you."

Bluestar shook her head, "How many cats will blame Tigerclaw on _that_ evidence?"

Spottedleaf purred, "I'm not stupid Bluestar. I saw this coming a long time ago. I convinced Ravenpaw to tell Firepaw that Tigerclaw killed Redtail. He didn't want to betray his mentor at first, so I had to keep him in the medicine den a little longer than usual. Why Firepaw? Because he's the cat who hates Tigerclaw the most. That warrior the only cat who could see through Firepaw's perfect-cat act and do anything about it. With Ravenpaw's word as well as his own, he can cause some serious damage to Tigerclaw's reputation. All it will take is one outright accusation, and Tigerclaw will be the guilty one. This is your ticket to a clean slate. I suggest you take it."

Bluestar was shocked, "I'll never betray my own deputy, or any warriors from my Clan!"

"Oh," Spottedleaf purred, her amber eyes harder than rock, "But you already have." Bluestar whirled out of the medicine den, and bounded as quickly as possible away from the poisonous she cat. She stood in the middle of the clearing, allowing the sunlight to calm her. _Is it worth it? Should I betray Tigerclaw?_ She shook her head. It was never worth it. She would ruin Tigerclaw's life! If it ever came to it, she would just confess her own faults.

Then she saw Tigerclaw approach her, "Bluestar, if you don't mind, I would like to call a Clan meeting. I only sent out one border patrol, so that most of the warriors could listen."

Bluestar nodded, "All right, Tigerclaw." She bounded up onto the Highledge, motioning with her tail for Tigerclaw to follow.

When she was at the top of the rock ledge, she cleared her throat and yowled, "All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather for a Clan meeting!" Cats began to file out of their dens, some still bleary eyed from the late night. Nevertheless, they quickly filled the clearing. Bluestar admired the strong shoulders and loyal hearts of her warriors. It would take more than ShadowClan and Spottedleaf to topple ThunderClan! She nodded to Tigerclaw, and he stepped forward.

Bluestar was surprised by the way his voice carried through the air, loud and clear, "Warriors of ThunderClan, we fought a great battle, and have defeated ShadowClan, if only temporarily. We have shown them how truly strong we are! Sadly, during the battle, Bluestar lost another life. Now that she only has four of her nine lives left, I am going to appoint her with a bodyguard to stay by her side constantly. No cat may approach her unless the guards are present. Darkstripe and Longtail will take turns guarding Bluestar." Bluestar felt touched by his concern, and her fury toward Spottedleaf grew.

But ThunderClan couldn't spare warriors, and Longtail and Darkstripe were two of the best, "Thank you, Tigerclaw, for your loyalty. But the Clan must understand that I am still here for them. No cat should hesitate to approach me, and I am happy to speak to anyone with or without my bodyguards. The warrior code says that the safety of the clan is more important than any single member. Including the leader. Now, I would like to invite Yellowfang to join ThunderClan." Yowls of surprise rose up from the crowd of cats, but the queens looked on approvingly. After she had saved their kits, they didn't seem to care how dirty or grumpy she was. It was frightening how quickly opinions could change. Bluestar continued, "Her actions last night proved that she is brave and loyal. If she wishes it, we would welcome her as a full member of this Clan." Bluestar scanned the crowd quickly, and finally found Yellowfang.

The grizzled she cat stood up, "I am honored, Bluestar, and I accept your offer."

Bluestar breathed a silent sigh of relief, "Good. Last night we successfully defended ourselves against ShadowClan, but they are still a great threat. The repair work we began after the battle will continue. Our borders will be heavily patrolled. We will _not_ assume that this war is over!"

Tigerclaw stepped forward again, and his voice now carried a faint tinge of the hard battlefield leader that lurked behind those green eyes, "ShadowClan attacked while Bluestar was away from camp. They chose their moment well. I don't believe in luck. How did they know the camp was so poorly defended? Do they have eyes inside our camp?" He swept his cold gaze over the surrounding cats before continuing, "We still have a while before sunset. Like Bluestar said, we must concentrate on rebuilding the camp. Meanwhile, if you suspect anything, tell me or Bluestar. Anything you say will be in confidence." Bluestar waved her tail, signaling that the meeting had come to an end.

She leapt down into the clearing, and turned to Tigerclaw who walked beside her, "I appreciate that you wanted to protect me, but we cannot spare the warriors."

He nodded, "Yes, Bluestar. You're right. I will ask you next time I am thinking of making an important decision." She nodded, and she glanced at Sandpaw and Dustpaw as they walked past. She noticed that Dustpaw was shooting suspicious glances at Firepaw. That was interesting. Tigerclaw's mew brought her back to reality, "Blustar, I've been meaning to speak to you about Spottedleaf… I think she might have had something to do with Lionheart's death." Bluestar's mind raced. If Spottedleaf was put under pressure, she would no doubt reveal all of Bluestar's secret activities with the cats who ignored the code.

She shook her head, "Tigerclaw, I will deal with Spottedleaf. I cannot ask you to risk yourself. I doubt she had anything to do with it, but I'll speak with her."

Tigerclaw breathed an audible sigh of relief, "Thank you, Bluestar. Now, I must supervise Sandpaw and Dustpaw. Those brambles are upside-down!" Bluestar watched the dark warrior pad quickly away, calling advice to the two puzzled apprentices. She hadn't ever known that brambles could be upside down. _Oh well. _She glanced at the woods, regretting that she would have to call a meeting with her associates. She wasn't looking forward to it.


	9. He's Just a Messenger

Firepaw

They had spent all day fortifying the camp, placing extra brambles around the nursery, adding brambles around the medicine den, and pretty much adding brambles everywhere that was physically possible. They'd probably be wearing bramble bushes on their heads next.

It was dark in the apprentice's den, and he felt Dustpaw's unforgiving eyes boring into his back. Sheesh, what was up with that cat? But he had more pressing matters to worry about. Tigerclaw was deputy? That would make it twice as hard to pull anything off.

After a long, restless night, Firepaw finally realized it was almost morning. He spotted Tigerclaw stalking towards the apprentice's den, ready to start the day of training. Ugh. That stupid cat was so… perfect! He was the model warrior! It made Firepaw want to puke.

Tigerclaw stuck his head inside the den, "Wake up! Training is about to start!" Firepaw bit back a biting retort, and simply nodded respectfully. _Act nice._ He prodded Graypaw impatiently.

Firepaw was ready to get this day over with, "Wake up Graypaw! Tigerclaw's waiting!" Together, the apprentices bounded into the clearing. The camp was already filled with warriors, preparing to start a day of hunting and patrolling. Tigerclaw quickly ordered Sandpaw and Dustpaw to join their mentors, and then he turned to Ravenpaw, Graypaw, and Firepaw.

Tigerclaw saw Graypaw dragging his paws, and he asked, "Is he coming?"

Ravenpaw nodded timidly, "Yes, he only just woke up."

Tigerclaw quickly set off for the sandy hollow for battle training, "Training will do him good. It will take his mind off his grief." Firepaw followed the other apprentices. He hated battle training. Why did getting your muzzle clawed off count as a learning experience? At least Graypaw was quiet this morning. _If Lionheart had been _my_ mentor, I would be happy if he died!_ What was the fuss about anyway? They fought pitched battles, and were surprised when cats got their throats ripped out? Seriously?

"Firepaw," Tigerclaw mewed, "Bluestar will be ready for you in a moment. Graypaw, you can join my training session. Do you think you're up to it, Ravenpaw?" The black apprentice nodded, his glistening fur fluffing out a bit. When they reached the camp entrance, Firepaw sat to wait for Bluestar. Graypaw and Ravenpaw disappeared into the forest, nodding brief goodbyes. Finally, Bluestar arrived. She looked tired, but her silver fur was groomed and her eyes were bright. She motioned for Firepaw to follow as she trotted into the forest.

When they were under the green canopy, she began to speak, "I have asked Tigerclaw to hold his training session in another part of the forest today. I want to concentrate on your fighting skills, and I want _you_ to concentrate on them too. No distractions!" Firepaw was surprised by her intensity. Normally she seemed like a serene and graceful leader. In reality, she was nothing more than a highly tuned warrior. Interesting… Suddenly, a paw slammed into the side of his head, just below his ear. He stumbled a few steps to the side, his head ringing.

He turned to see Bluestar's merciless eyes inches from his own, "Do I have your attention _now_?"

Firepaw felt rage boiling up inside of him, "Yes, Bluestar."

"That's better. I have been watching you for a while, Firepaw. You outwitted Graypaw on the first day you met, and you used your cleverness to defeat Yellowfang as well. You were fierce against the ShadowClan warriors, and you're a quick and deadly hunter. Someday, you will meet a warrior who is all of these things, fast, fierce, and clever. It is my duty to prepare you for that day." Firepaw nodded, his senses alert for another attack. He liked her better when she was docile. When they reached the sandy hollow, Bluestar whirled around, "Attack me!" Firepaw hesitated, sizing her up. She would be expecting him to attack on his hind legs, his front paws trying to claw at her face. That was the most common ThunderClan attack, best because of ThunderClan's large bodies and heavily muscled legs. Maybe she wouldn't expect a leap attack. Maybe she didn't know he had learned those moves yet… He leaped, aiming for her shoulders. She instantly dropped into a crouch, and the instant Firepaw hit her back, she flipped over, crushing him with her body. Then she wrapped her paws around his neck, and rolled forward. Firepaw flew through the air for a blissful moment, before crashing into the sand. He sat up slowly, spitting sand.

Bluestar calmly smoothed down her whiskers with a dainty paw, "Interesting strategy, but you're eyes betrayed you. Also, RiverClan cats are trained especially for that style of fighting, and you could be seriously injured trying that on one of them." Great. Another lecture on Clan fighting tactics. Like he hadn't already gotten plenty of those. This time, he glared at her shoulders and leaped for her paws. She simply leapt up into the air, and landed right on top of his shoulders. The breath rushed out of him, and he was flattened on the sand.

She stepped off of him, and hissed, "Try something I _don't_ expect!" Okay. He dropped into a crouch, and began to slink towards Bluestar. She mirrored his crouch, and hissed furiously. He swiped a paw at her ear, and she ducked low to avoid it. A heartbeat later, she rose into the ThunderClan stance, towering over him. _You asked for tricky, you're gonna get tricky!_ He slithered under her, and lashed his hindpaws up into her stomach. Bluestar fell onto her side with a grunt, and Firepaw was on his feet in an instant. Ha! Even the leader of ThunderClan didn't stand a chance!

Bluestar sat up slowly, puffing for breath, "That was much better. Now it's my turn." Uh oh. Bluestar sprang, and Firepaw jumped into a ThunderClan stance, his paws ready. Bluestar simply bowled right through him, and Firepaw ended up with his muzzle in the sand yet again.

"Look at my size, Firepaw! Don't try to stand up against my attack. Use your wits! If you are fast enough to avoid me, then avoid me!" Firepaw stood up again. This was going to be a long morning. He tried to stand lightly, ready to dodge to one side or the other. Bluestar charged towards him, and this time he neatly sidestepped her blind attack.

Bluestar turned quickly, "Excellent, Firepaw! You learn quickly. Let's see how you deal with this one." Firepaw tried to look like a perfect, active young warrior, but inside he was groaning. It would take forever to get the sand out of his fur.

Tigerclaw

Something was wrong. Tigerclaw absentmindedly watched Ravenpaw and Graypaw sparring, and he tried to focus. But he couldn't shake the feeling that something just wasn't right. Bluestar was acting strange. While he had been talking to her, she would be glancing over at the woods, as if expecting a ShadowClan attack at any moment. Maybe she was having trouble with Spottedleaf. That wouldn't be a surprise. He tried to force the thoughts out of his head. Bluestar was leading her Clan well, and that was all that should matter. _I have to mind my own business!_

"Keep your paws up, Ravenpaw! You have to make sure your muzzle is protected!" But no matter how hard he tried to focus, Bluestar's strange behavior was gnawing at the back of his mind.

It was getting dark by the time he had finished training with the apprentices. Ravenpaw would never be a big cat, but he was still an excellent warrior. It was almost time for the apprentices to become warriors. He purred quietly. It had seemed like just yesterday when they were nothing but excited kits. When they entered the camp, he dismissed Graypaw and Ravenpaw, and went to get himself a piece of prey. He spotted Darkstripe, and decided to eat with him. Darkstripe seemed lost in thought, and hardly seemed to notice when Tigerclaw approached. The muscular warrior was nibbling on a bit of mouse, obviously troubled.

Finally, Tigerclaw hissed gently, "What is it, mousebrain? Something's on your mind."

Darkstripe blinked, "I don't know, I've just got a hunch…" Tigerclaw waited for Darkstripe to continue, but the dark warrior just sat silent.

"Can you tell me about it?"

Darkstripe shook his head, "Not yet. I have to be sure. But as soon as I am, you'll be the first I'll tell." They ate the rest of their meal in silence. Tigerclaw was puzzled, and a lot was on his mind. He wasn't used to all of this. Redtail killed by Boulder, for no apparent reason. Brokenstar confidently asserting himself over the other Clans, with not a shadow of a doubt that anyone would refuse his offers. Spottedleaf possibly killing Lionheart. Ravenpaw acting guilty. Bluestar acting suspicious. And Darkstripe had a hunch. Tigerclaw was glad that the cat was his friend. He would probably clear up some of this mystery. Tigerclaw turned towards the nursery, deciding he would see Goldenflower. Then he remembered he couldn't. That would put her in danger. Especially now. With a heavy heart, he padded towards his den, hoping to sleep this night away. Then he saw Yellowfang. The scruffy she cat was licking the bones of a mouse clean.

Tigerclaw padded quickly up to her, "Hello, Yellowfang."

She glanced up at him briefly, "What a surprise. It's Tigerclaw." She sat up with a groan, "Well, what do you want to say. I'm sure you're not here to discuss the excitement of snail hunts."

Tigerclaw shook his head, "I'm here to thank you for protecting the kits."

Yellowfang looked at him strangely, "Ok. Any cat would do it."

Tigerclaw nodded, "I doubted you, and believed that mangy Brokenstar. I am ashamed at my behavior. Would you… forgive me?"

Yellowfang sat silent for a moment, and then purred, "I never thought I'd see the day… Well, you're forgiven. I'm glad at least _one_ cat is sorry about trying to banish me." Tigerclaw padded towards the den, feeling a little better. Then Yellowfang called after him, "Tigerclaw! You're going to be a great leader someday. Don't let anyone tell you anything different."

Bluestar

Bluestar trotted through the woods, trying to make sure none of her warriors were following. The sun was sinking behind the trees, and it was time to meet with the codeless cats. She leapt over a gully, breathing in the familiar scent of the lake. Finally, the trees opened up, and she was standing on the shore of the giant body of water. She lapped up a few mouthfuls of the muddy water, feeling it slide down her parched throat. When she looked up, two cats were standing a few fox lengths away. Stumpytail and Clawface were watching her patiently, lacking the normal healthy respect. They were getting cocky. But not cocky enough to interrupt her drinking.

She nodded a greeting, "Is it time?" Clawface nodded, and the three cats swam out into the lake, heading for the island that stood silhouetted against the setting sun.

When they reached the island, it was already dark. The ShadowClan cats moved through the darkness with disturbing ease. Bluestar was glad that RiverClan was present. And Oakheart was there also. Bluestar forced her heart to slow when she thought of the handsome tom. She was here for business only.

"Greetings, Bluestar," Whiteclaw drawled sarcastically, "Glad you finally decided to show up. A lot has been going on in ThunderClan, we hear."

Bluestar cut right to the chase, whirling towards Clawface, "Who is ShadowClan's informant? Who told them that I was at Moonpool?"

Clawface simply purred, "Why should I tell you?" B

luestar growled, "We'll give you a half moon before we drive ShadowClan out of WindClan territory." She wasn't even planning on attacking. It was just to make Clawface a little more uncomfortable.

Stumpytail nudged Clawface nervously, "I think that sounds pretty good, don't you, Clawface?"

Clawface shook his head, "I need more than a half moon."

"Fine. A moon."

"Deal." Bluestar's ears pricked in anticipation.

Clawface cleared his throat, and then mewed, "A cat named Ravenpaw comes to our camp once in a while. I think he's just a messenger. He's always real nervous. We give him a bunch of herbs and berries, and then he gives us some information. Simple as that. If I had to guess who was behind it, I would say it was Spottedleaf, your medicine cat. Who else would want herbs? But then again, any other of your cats might give her herbs, trying to be nice or impress her. Who knows." So it was Spottedleaf. That was _it_! Something had to be done about that double crosser!

Oakheart stepped forward, "You cats still haven't given us that load of catmint you promised us for asking Crookedstar to accept Brokenstar's offer! We want it now, or we won't let your cats have the river!"

Clawface lashed his tail, "We don't go back on our offers! We brought the stuff with us." He gave a nod to Stumpytail, who picked up a large pile of herbs and carried it over to the RiverClan cats. He laid it at Whiteclaw's feet, and Oakheart counted the precious leaves. Bluestar breathed in the heavenly scent of the catmint, wishing she could feel the sweet juice trickling down her throat.

Oakheart finished counting, and nodded to Whiteclaw, "It's all here." Bluestar was anxious to get back to her camp. She had to sort out Spottedleaf before she did the Clan any more harm!

"I think that's everything," she mewed, "I must go." With that, she slid into the water and paddled back towards ThunderClan.

When she arrived at the camp, it was already almost moonrise. She decided Spottedleaf would have to wait. She padded up into her nest, and fell asleep.

Bluestar awoke to find herself surrounded by dark, twisted trees. A faint green light filtered through the blackened branches. She remembered this place. She was dreaming the worst kind of dream.

"I can't be_lieve_ you didn't know it was Spottedleaf! You are such an idiot sometimes! I can't see why _she_ wants you!" Bluestar turned to see Redtail sitting up, watching her. A strange light danced across his eyes. The tortoiseshell purred, "You let her kill another deputy, and it was ok? But giving information! NO NO NO!"

Bluestar swallowed, hoping Redtail couldn't smell her fear, "Why am I here? Let me sleep in peace!"

Redtail suddenly got very serious, "You don't care about me? You don't care how I feel? Lionheart got to go to StarClan, but I'm stuck here! _You_ brought me here! You don't care about your deputies!" He tore at the ground, his claws unsheathed. Dirt flew through the air, spattering his matted fur. Bluestar took an unconscious step back. Then Redtail stopped. "Why did you have to kill me? Why? WHY? It wasn't my fault the voices tortured me! They told me what other cats would do! I had to stop those cats! It wasn't my fault! The voices made me do it! And then you killed _me_!"

Bluestar felt a twinge of pity for the cat, "I'm sorry, Redtail."

"No you're not!" He was hissing now, "You killed me! How can you be _sorry_?" He leapt at her with a crazed yowl, and Bluestar jerked awake with a cry. She was shaking, and could barely stand. Why were they torturing her?


	10. A Single Poppy Seed

Firepaw

Firepaw blinked open his eyes, and immediately closed them again as the sun glared back at him. Another new sunrise. Another new eternity of boring training. Life had been getting repetitive lately. With a groan, he hauled himself out of the den and into the clearing.

Graypaw bounced up, "Hey! I'm feeling much better!"

Firepaw tried to ignore him, "That's nice."

Graypaw bounced some more, "Are you going to see Brindleface's new kits?" Firepaw nodded absentmindedly. He couldn't exactly say no.

Suddenly, Whitestorm was there, "One at a time only, and Bluestar's with her now!"

Firepaw was happy with that, "You can go first. I'll go, uh, talk to Yellowfang while I'm waiting." Firepaw found her quickly.

The mangy cat was basking in the sun, grooming her ears. "Don't tell me you're expecting rain!" That seemed like a nice, idiotic joke. Maybe they would think he was just like all the other forest cats!

Yellowfang opened one eye, "You've been listening to too many elders' tales. What would be the point of a cat washing its ears if they're only going to get rained on anyway?" Firepaw fought back the urge to roll his eyes at this annoying mangy good for nothing…

He twitched his tail in fake happiness, "Are you going to see Brindleface's new litter?"

"I don't think I'd be welcome." The old cat growled. _Why not?_

"But you saved—"

"A she cat is very protective of her newborns," Yellowfang interrupted, "Especially when it's her first litter. I think I'll stay away." _She's smart._ Firepaw sighed in mock disappointment.

He felt quite proud of himself for such wonderful acting, "As you wish. But I'm going to see them. It must be a good sign, having new kits in camp."

"Sometimes." Yellowfang mewed moodily. _What's got into her?_ Firepaw decided to get the visit overwith, so he trotted swiftly towards the nursery.

Bluestar was there to greet him, "Firepaw, have you come to see ThunderClan's newest warriors?" She sounded surprisingly worn and tired. Firepaw had a sneaking suspicion that something wasn't right. He dismissed the thought. Bluestar was probably the model leader. But why was she so depressed about new ThunderClan kits?

"Yes, I've come to see them."

Bluestar padded away, "When you've finished, come see me in my den."

"Yes, Bluestar." Firepaw stalked into the nursery with a heavy heart. He despised kits.

As he walked into the nursery, the first thing he noticed was how stuffy it was. When his eyes came into focus, he saw at least three queens and a mouseload of kits. They were everywhere, climbing on cats, rolling over each other, and causing way too much noise. Ugh.

He quickly spotted Brindleface, and tried to make polite conversation, "How are you feeling?"

The queen yawned, "A little tired. But the kits are strong and healthy." _Like I care!_

"ThunderClan is lucky to have them." Firepaw forced a purr into his mew, "I was just talking about them to Yellowfang." A look of concern darted over Brindleface's muzzle, and Firepaw took note of it. So the queens still didn't trust Yellowfang… How fascinating. He politely bid his goodbyes, and tried not to rush out of the nursery. When he was outside once more, he greedily sucked in fresh air. _I hope I never have to enter that place again!_ He licked his chest fur flat, reminding himself to be perfect. He tried to go for his best impersonation of a bumbling, simple forest cat. He found himself acting quite a bit like Graypaw. Why was he not surprised?

Firepaw remembered Bluestar's orders, and quickly trotted towards her den. She was waiting for him, and beckoned him inside with a flick of her tail. Firepaw had never seen the inside of Bluestar's den before, but he decided it was his favorite place in the whole forest. The smooth rock walls were cool, despite the heat of sunhigh. A nest of comfortable looking feathers sat in a corner, and a tiny trickle of water ran down the back wall of the cave, and into a tiny pool. Leaders had it good!

They sat in silence for a few moments, so Firepaw mewed, "Brindleface's kits are lovely."

Bluestar looked strangely serious, "Lovely they may be, but they mean more mouths to feed. The season of leaf bare will be here soon… Ah, don't listen to me. The first cold wind always worries me." She stretched out onto the floor, her head still held alert, "Make yourself comfortable." Firepaw lay down, stifling a yawn. Even the floor here was amazing.

"I'm still aching from our training session yesterday," Bluestar mewed, "You fight well for one so young." Then she gave a long, mournful sigh, "I can still smell the stale stench of ShadowClan in the camp. I hoped I would never see the day when our enemy broke into the heart of ThunderClan." Firepaw nodded politely, but inside he was seething. _Get on with it! If I wanted to know how bad it is these days, I would just go to the elders! At least they fall asleep after a while! _

The leader shook her head slowly, "So many deaths. First Redtail, then Lionheart. I thank StarClan at least the warriors we have left are strong and loyal like them. At least with Tigerclaw as deputy, ThunderClan may still be able to defend itself. I am pleased to see how much respect the Clan has for him. I know he is ambitious, but his ambition makes him one of the bravest cats I have ever had the honor of fighting alongside. You know Brokenstar will return. He made it quite clear at the Gathering that he wants hunting rights in all the territories."

Firepaw decided to play the brave, noble warrior, "We fought him off once. We can do it again!"

"That's true," the silver she cat acknowledged, "StarClan will honor your courage, Firepaw. I think you ought to know that I am not on my fifth life, as you might have heard. I am on my seventh." Wait. She only had two more lives! Bluestar continued sadly, "I have let the Clan believe it was my fifth because I don't want them to fear for my safety. But two more lives, and I will have to leave you and join StarClan."

Triumph coursed through Firepaw, "Thank you for sharing this with me, Bluestar." Bluestar stood up, and stalked over to her nest.

She sank into it, before turning back to him, "I'm tired. Off you go. And Firepaw, this conversation will not leave this den. Do you understand?"

Firepaw nodded, "Of course." He stalked out of the den. He purred to himself. He didn't need to tell any cat. This was too easy. _Like giving kits to a fox._

Tigerclaw

The mouse's nose twitched as it searched the leaf strewn dirt for nuts. It scurried here and there, always busy, never watching. Tigerclaw silently slid over the ground, his eyes fixed on the small, grey creature. He quickly judged the distance, and leapt. It never saw him coming. With the rodent hanging from his jaws, Tigerclaw decided it was time to return to camp. He couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen. As he neared the entrance to the camp, he heard the soft pawsteps of a cat, and the unmistakable smell of perfection wafted through the air. _Spottedleaf!_

He dropped the mouse, "Spottedleaf? Are you there?" The she cat slid out of the undergrowth, a small bundle of herbs in her jaws.

She carefully placed them on the ground, "Greetings, Tigerclaw. I wasn't expecting to see you here." Was it just him, or did Spottedleaf seem nervous. But why would a medicine cat be nervous?

"Are you up to something?" he growled.

Spottedleaf simply purred, "Of course not. I'm just out to collect herbs."

"You've already got some in your jaws."

"But not all of them. What do _you_ know about medicine?" Tigerclaw was taken aback. He had never heard Spottedleaf slip out of her silky mew. But he couldn't do anything. If she did anything, he could tell Bluestar, and have proof. He nodded and picked up the mouse, padding back towards the camp. Then Spottedleaf called after him, "Oh, and Tigerclaw? I would watch your back if I was you. Betrayal comes from those you would least suspect." And with that, she disappeared into the forest. Tigerclaw stood still, pondering her words. What did that mean? And why had she said that like it was the last thing she would ever say… Something was very wrong. He dropped the mouse, not even bothering to bury it. He dashed after Spottedleaf, leaping over logs, and dodging past trees. Then he smelt ShadowClan. He increased his pace, until the foliage was nothing but a green blur. Suddenly, he dashed into a clearing. It was empty. Then he saw her. Spottedleaf was lying on her side, he paws splayed out. She was completely still, and her eyes stared sightlessly into the cloudless blue sky. Tigerclaw dashed to her side. There was a bite wound right at the base of her neck. She would have died instantly. The funny thing was, there was no sign of struggle. No scratches on her perfect, white body. But there was a scrap of fur lodged between her claws. He gave it a quick sniff. Clawface! There was no doubt about it! But why did Spottedleaf not fight back? Why didn't she call for help?

He yowled at the top of his lungs, "Quick! Over here! SHADOWCLAN!" A moment later, Bluestar bounded out of the bushes, closely followed by Sandpaw and Firepaw. Willowpelt was not far behind.

Bluestar gasped when she saw Spottedleaf's body, "What happened?"

"I found her like this!" Tigerclaw mewed, "She has a single wound in the back of her neck! It's a warrior blow, no doubt about it!" Then a cat bounded out into the clearing. It was Longtail.

"Yellowfang is gone!"

Tigerclaw's eyes widened, "Did something happen at camp?" Longtail nodded as Bluestar and the apprentices rushed back to camp.

Longtail nodded breathlessly, "Frostfur's kits are gone!"

Tigerclaw was shocked, "What? How? Is Goldenflower all right?"

Longtail looked puzzled, "Of course! Why do you ask?"

Tigerclaw shook his head, "It doesn't matter! Here, help me get her back to camp." Even fox dung like Spottedleaf deserved a burial.

He had just grabbed hold of her scruff, when Longtail mewed, "Hey! What's this?" Tigerclaw saw he was staring at the herb leaf. What was so interesting about that? Then he saw it. A single poppy seed. Didn't they use those to relieve pain? _Why would Spottedleaf want to carry a pain numbing herb around? _There was no time to think now, though. He would ask Darkstripe later. They had to find the kits!

Bluestar

Grief clouded Bluestar's senses. Thunder rolled over the forest, reflecting the moods of the cats that now stood in the clearing.

Spottedleaf's body was lying in the dust, and Frostfur was yowling, "Yellowfang has killed Spottedleaf and taken my kits!" She refused to be consoled by her fellow queens, singing out her grief to the black clouds. Bluestar couldn't believe that Spottedleaf had died. Could her schemes have finally caught up to her? Or could Yellowfang have actually killed her?

"Traitor!" Tigerclaw roared, "I always knew that Yellowfang was a traitor! Now we know how she managed to fight off the ShadowClan deputy. It was all a set up to infiltrate ThunderClan and steal our kits!" Lighting split the sky in two, casting a blinding white light onto the clearing.

"Bluestar!" Darkstripe yowled over the storm, "What do you say?" Bluestar blinked. All of this was her fault. And now StarClan was punishing her. Would she avenge Spottedleaf's death? Would Bluestar risk the lives of her clanmates, when she knew in her heart that it would be for nothing? Should she just confess her faults, and allow Tigerclaw to lead ThunderClan?

Her guilt felt like a dead weight, burdening her heart. She couldn't tell them. Not now. Instead, she yowled, "If Yellowfang has killed Spottedleaf and stolen Frostfur's helpless kits, then she will be hunted down! She will learn how sharp ThunderClan's claws really are, and she will seek mercy, but she will find none!" The warriors howled in agreement. Bluestar waited for them to quiet before she continued, "But a storm is coming, and I am not prepared to risk your lives. If ShadowClan has our kits, he will not dare harm them! I suspect Brokenstar is just looking for more recruits to accomplish his twisted ambitions! As soon as the storm has passed, a patrol will follow Yellowfang and bring back our kits."

"We cannot waste time!" Tigerclaw hissed in her ear, trying not to oppose her openly. She appreciated that, and let him continue, "If we wait too long, the rain will wash away her scent!"

Bluestar shook her head, "If we send out a hunting party now, our efforts will be wasted anyway. In this weather the scent will already be lost by the time we are ready!" As if to emphasize her point, a heavy rain began to fall, soaking the cats in the clearing. Bluestar shook the water out of her eyes, "Tigerclaw, I would like to discuss plans with you." He nodded and trudged towards her den, his head held high despite the beating rain. Bluestar scanned the crowd quickly, and spotted Firepaw. She knew he was close to Yellowfang. Maybe he would be more merciful if he found her. She gestured for him to approach, and he did.

When he had reached her, she hissed, "Where is Yellowfang? Do you know?" Firepaw looked thoughtful for a moment, and Bluestar noted how his eyes were full of grief. He no doubt was grieving Spottedleaf. So even Firepaw had a heart. But had he lost all softness when Spottedleaf had died? She prayed he hadn't.

Firepaw was quiet a moment, and then he replied, "I saw Yellowfang go through the camp boundary after the kits went missing. Do you really think she killed Spottedleaf and took the kits?"

Bluestar kept her gaze steady, "I don't know. I want you to find her and bring her back alive. I need to know the truth!"

Firepaw was puzzled, "You're not sending Tigerclaw?"

Bluestar shook her head, clearing water from her eyes, "Tigerclaw is a great warrior, but in this case his loyalty to the clan might cloud his judgment. He wants to give the Clan the vengeance it desires. No cat can blame him for that. The Clan believes Yellowfang betrayed us, and if Tigerclaw thinks he can reassure the Clan by handing them the dead body of Yellowfang, that's what they'll do." Firepaw nodded, and water dripped off of his flattened ears. Bluestar continued, "If I find Yellowfang is a traitor, then I will kill her myself. If she is not I will _never_ let an innocent cat die." A nagging thought in the back of her head disagreed, _But Bluestar, what if you already have? Was Redtail innocent, in his own way? _


	11. Too Small to Fight

Firepaw

Firepaw bounded out of the camp, his nose desperately searching for Yellowfang's scent. His mind still reeled with grief. He couldn't believe Spottedleaf was dead! He could just imagine her beautiful amber eyes, her gentle paws- A bolt of lightning lit up the sky, illuminating the trees in a twisted fashion.

"Firepaw!" Firepaw turned to see Graypaw galloping towards him, ears flattened against the wind, "I've been looking for you! Where are you going?"

Firepaw barely bit back a hiss, "To look for Yellowfang!"

Graystripe tilted his head to one side, "On your own?"

Firepaw nodded impatiently, "Bluestar asked me to bring Yellowfang back."

"Why you?"

"Maybe she thinks I know Yellowfang best, and that I'd find her more easily."

Graystripe paused for a moment before asking, "Do you really think she's innocent?"

Firepaw shook his head, "I don't know. But I'll find out."

Firepaw turned to leave, but Graypaw called after him, "Wait!"

"What?"

Graypaw had to yowl to be heard over the wind, "Remember when you were training with Bluestar? Well, when Ravenpaw and I were together, he told me that Tigerclaw had killed Redtail!" What? Could it be true? Firepaw was shocked, and the rain pelted his open mouth. It was probably a lie. Tigerclaw would never do that. It just didn't add up. But this could be the key to toppling Tigerclaw… _With Graypaw's, Ravenpaw's, and my word together, we could get him banished!_ But this information was valuable. Ravenpaw looked about ready to burst with his secret back at camp. That cat had serious guilt problems.

Firepaw tried to look concerned, "We need to get him out of the camp as soon as possible! We have to get him where Tigerclaw can't find him!"

Graypaw thought for a moment, then he blinked open his eyes, "There's a twoleg farm just outside our territory! I think a few cats live there. They're nicer than rogues, but don't have twolegs to get in the way! I met them once on a hunting trip. We could send him there!"

Firepaw had never heard of the place, but as long as it was away from ThunderClan, he was Ok with it, "That's a great idea!" Together, the friends bounded back to camp in search of Ravenpaw. The found him in the apprentices den, nestled low into the moss. He looked up at them with worried eyes as they entered.

"Come on!" Firepaw hissed, "We're going to the farm!"

Ravenpaw looked puzzled, "Why?"

Firepaw was rearing to go, "Because you'll be safe there. Come on! We have to hurry!"

Ravenpaw met Firepaw's eyes, "Thanks, Firepaw." The three apprentices bounded back out of the camp, by now they were soaked through by the rain.

Then a mew thundered behind them, "You three! Where are you going?" It was Tigerclaw. Firepaw couldn't believe how bad his luck was, but it wasn't over yet.

He tried to think up a story, but Bluestar's voice cut through the storm, "Well done, Firepaw. I see you've persuaded your two friends to go with you. ThunderClan has brave apprentices, Tigerclaw, if they are willing to run an errand in this weather."

Tigerclaw was puzzled, "Is it wise to run errands in this weather?"

Bluestar nodded, "One of Brindleface's kits has a cough. Firepaw has offered to fetch her some coltsfoot for her."

Tigerclaw shrugged, "All right, Bluestar, if it's fine with you, then who am I to object? I was worried they were attempting to rescue the kits on their own."

Bluestar led her deputy away, mewing, "I thank you for your concern, but…" Firepaw lost sight of her in the rain, and he and his friends continued to run through the forest. They leapt through the trees in silence, none of the cats in the mood to talk. When they reached the nest, they were cold and tired.

Ravenpaw was about to disappear into the red twoleg nest when he thought of something, "What if they come looking for me? What if Tigerclaw finds out?"

Firepaw glared at him through the dark rain, "I will tell them you're dead." And with that, he spun around and disappeared into the forest.

The trip back to ThunderClan territory was rough. Both cats were bone tired, and the rain was making them quiver uncontrollably.

"Why don't we just head straight into ShadowClan territory?" Firepaw squinted up at the dark sky. The thunderclouds were beginning to roll away, but it looked close to sunset.

He shook his head, trying to keep his tail from dragging in the leaves, "We need to pick up Yellowfant's scent first. I just hope it won't lead to the ShadowClan camp." They began to circle a few foxlengths from the edge of the camp, their noses to the ground. Then, Firepaw picked up the familiar sharp scent, "Yellowfang came this way!" Graypaw converged on his position, and they both crept forward, trying not to disturb the faint scent. As they followed it, Firepaw realized that it actually _was_ going towards the ShadowClan border! The traitor! He would rip her throat out! They bounded towards the ShadowClan border line, and sure enough, the scent crossed it.

Graypaw stopped, "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Firepaw shrugged, "As long as we don't get our muzzles ripped off, it's a great idea."

The apprentice wasn't exactly rearing to go, "My mother always warned me about going into ShadowClan territory." Firepaw was starting to regret bringing this mousebrain along.

"_My _mother never taught me such things," he replied, staring keenly into the wet darkness. "Come on, let's get moving." Firepaw padded on into the dark, with Greypaw following nervously behind. Greypaw agreed to stay on the alert for ShadowClan patrols, while Firepaw kept an eye out for Tigerclaw, who he had a feeling would come soon with a patrol.

Yellowfang's trail led them straight into the heart of ShadowClan territory. The trees there were mostly pines, with mist trailing through the boggy woods.

"I can't smell her," Greypaw complained. "It's too wet."

_Of course it is, mouse-brain!_ Firepaw thought. _It's raining!_

"The scent _is_ there," he assured the other apprentice in what he hoped wasn't a growl.

"I can smell _that_ thought," Greypaw meowed suddenly, stopping in alarm.

"What?"

"Kit-scent! There's kit blood here!" Firepaw sniffed again. He could barely detect the smell of ThunderClan kits. Stupid kits.

"I smell it too. And wait, there's something else…" His head whipped up. Firepaw signaled for Graypaw to keep quiet and pointed at a nearby ash tree with his tail. Graystripe, for the first time ever, actually caught on. Together, the two apprentices dropped into a hunter's crouch, and approached the intruder silently. It was just like hunting. As they got closer, Firepaw's eyes widened in shock. It was Yellowfang! Graypaw scrunched up his muzzle in puzzlement, and it was practically a moon before he noticed too. When he did, he looked like he was about to yowl to let Firepaw know. The orange apprentice shot him a glare, and signaled for him to be quiet as best as possible without making a sound. That cat should go find a nice rock to talk to. That would be about his speed. Firepaw crouched even lower and, with a flick of his tail, signaled Graypaw. Together, they leapt onto the old cat. The fleabag screeched and writhed as the two apprentices pinned her to the ground. Suddenly, she went completely still. Firepaw and Graypaw lost their balance, not ready for that move. Without missing a beat the old cat shot free, leaving the apprentices scrambling to trap her.

When Yellowfang realized she was backed up against a tree, all the fight left her, "I knew ThunderClan would blame me."

Firepaw almost purred at her discomfort, but instead he hissed, "Where are the kits?"

Graypaw was so fluffed up in fury that he looked exactly like a fur ball, "We can smell their blood! What did you do to them?!"

"I was trying to find them too! I only stopped because I also smelled their blood!" This cat killed Spottedleaf.

Firepaw was suddenly filled with an inexplicable rage, "Then why did you run away?!" Then his mew became dangerously smooth, "Why did you kill Spottedleaf?"

Yellowfang's eyes widened in shock, "She's dead?!"

Firepaw's mew dripped with lethal sarcasm, "Oh, so I guess you didn't know?"

"I left the camp after the kits went missing! How could I know?" Firepaw glanced at Graypaw. The cat was totally buying into this wretched cat's story. Fox dung! Now he couldn't kill her.

Yellowfang sensed his need for revenge, "Look Firepaw, I know who took the kits!"

"Who was it?"

"Clawface. He's one of Brokenstar's warriors. The kits are almost definitely in ShadowClan!"

Firepaw leered at the old she cat, "You expect me to believe that? Even ShadowClan wouldn't harm ThunderClan kits."

"Don't be so sure, Firepaw. ShadowClan plans to use them as warriors." That flea ridden, stinking, brilliant cat! He's forcing ThunderClan to fight on his own terms, and if they decide not to show up, he gets warriors.

Graypaw, of course, was horrified, "They're only three moons old!"

Yellowfang scoffed, "You think that'll stop him? He's been training kits that old since he became leader! He makes them warriors when they turn five moons old!"

Firepaw flicked his tail, "Wouldn't they be too small to fight?"

Yellowfang had a strange look in her eye, "They're much too small. But he'd always outnumber his enemy. One on one, they would lose. Three on one, it would be a close fight. He can always get more from other Clans! Remember, this cat has killed kits from his own Clan before!" And he got away with it?! Brokenstar was a genius! _I think I have a new role-model!_

Graypaw was puzzled, as usual, "Then why wasn't he punished?"

"He lied. He accused me of killing the kits." _And she has no proof she didn't. I _wonder_ why they kicked her out!_

But he played along, "Is that why you were driven out of ShadowClan? We need to tell Bluestar! Come on!"

"I can't come back until I've rescued the kits!"

Graypaw, apparently, wasn't quite up to speed, "Wait, but how could a leader kill kits from his own Clan?!"

Yellowfang slowly explained, "Brokenstar trained them too hard and too young. He took two of the kits away for battle practice when they were only four moons old. When he brought them back to me, they were already dead. Their wounds had been inflicted by a warrior, not each other. He must have made them fight him. When their mother came to see them, Brokenstar said I had been standing over them."

Firepaw knew something wasn't adding up, "Why didn't you tell her it was Brokenstar?"

Yellowfang paused for a moment before continuing, "I couldn't."

"Oh, and why is that?"

"Brokenstar is ShadowClan leader. Raggedstar was his father. His word is law." Firepaw considered this. This mange pelt had killed Spottedleaf. She had probably killed ShadowClan kits too, but that was just less enemies for ThunderClan. Should he help her become accepted? Should he kill her? He glanced at Graypaw. Could he kill her?

They sat in silence for a while. Then Firepaw mewed, "We'll rescue the kits together. Tonight. But we can't stay here. I can smell a ThunderClan patrol coming. If Tigerclaw is with them, Yellowfang doesn't stand a chance. He'll kill her before we can explain." _And, really, who could blame him?_

Tigerclaw

The rain pelted down onto the forest, causing ferns to droop and saplings to shudder. Tigerclaw blinked some of the water out of his eyes, peering down at the carpet of soggy leaves before him. Why had Bluestar told him to stay at camp? He wanted to be the one to rip that mangy traitor to shreds! He took a deep breath, keeping his head on a swivel and his nose searching for approaching enemies. He had been tasked with guarding the remaining kits. He wouldn't fail.

He paced to and fro in front of the nursery. He was the strongest warrior! Why hadn't he been assigned to the search? He continued to pace, wishing somebody would try to get the kits. He could do with a good fight right now. Then he heard pawsteps behind him, and he whirled around with a growl. But instead of an enemy, it was just Bluestar. She looked surprised by his outburst, and a cold look flickered through her gaze.

Tigerclaw felt suddenly ashamed, "I'm sorry Bluestar. I thought it might be that rogue coming back for more."

"We have no proof that Yellowfang is a rogue."

"The kits were stolen, and that mange pelt mysteriously disappears! What more proof do you need?!"

Fury replaced surprise in Bluestar's eyes, "Tigerclaw! You are in _no_ place to question my orders!"

"I'm the deputy! Doesn't that count for anything?!"

"Yes, it does, but still-"

"If you're going to be leader, you better start acting like it!"

Bluestar's ears flattened against the sides of her head, "_WHAT_ did you say?!"

"I said you should try following the Warrior Code for once! Letting rogues and kittypets swarm into ThunderClan!"

"You're exaggerating! I'm trying my best! And you're not helping by standing here arguing while the entire Clan is in jeopardy!"

Tigerclaw's claws dug deep into the dirt, "Oh, so it's now _my_ fault that everything's going wrong?! Is that all you do to us deputies, pin crimes on us?!"

"No! I listen to your advice, but right now you're wrong! Yellowfang is just as innocent as you and me!" Tigerclaw's lips drew back in a snarl, and he noticed with satisfaction how Bluestar flinched.

Suddenly, a sad, timid mew interrupted whatever he was about to say next, "Is something wrong?" Frostfur was standing just outside the nursery, cringing against the cold rain. Tigerclaw noticed how the usual playful mews of kits were now silent, and he could feel the tiny eyes watching him and Bluestar. Shame struck him harder than any warrior ever could.

Bluestar shook her head slowly, "No, Frostfur, nothing's the matter."

The queen looked puzzled, "But-"

Bluestar gave her a stern look, "Nothing is the matter." Frostfur took the hint and climbed back into the nursery.

Tigerclaw bowed his head, "I'm sorry Bluestar. It is not my place to question your orders."

Bluestar suddenly looked much older, "Maybe you're right, Tigerclaw. Maybe you're right."

Bluestar

She wandered back into the woods, focusing on the pounding rain. It was nearing moonhigh, and the light cut through the branches, painting a mosaic of white on the forest floor. Was Tigerclaw right? Was Yellowfang the one to blame? Or was this just another deception? Why had Spottedleaf died? It couldn't have been some freak accident. Had she broken one too many hearts? Bluestar skirted a murky puddle, still wandering towards the lakeshore. There would be no meeting with the Codeless cats tonight. She wished she had never known about them, the cats who ignored the Code for a bit of prey, or a scrap of herb. It had seemed so necessary when she had first met them, it was always just one more deal, just one more job. A rueful bird call echoed through the rain, bouncing off the dark clouds and the twisted trees. Bluestar cringed at the sound before shaking herself angrily. _You're a leader of ThunderClan! Toughen up!_ As she wandered through the forest, she thought of Firepaw. Had he found Yellowfang? Had _he_ killed her? No. There had to be some good in him. She used her tail to flick water from her brow. Was it time to make him a warrior? He was certainly capable. But was it wise? Has she allowed another killer into ThunderClan? No! He was just misunderstood. All he needed was her guidance. Then she would have someone to back her up at the meetings with the Codeless cats, and someone who she could trust with her secrets.


	12. Does it Count for Nothing?

Firepaw

"You found Yellowfang?" Mousefur's mew was a lethal mixture of scorn and shock. She really got on his nerves. Luckily for them, Tigerclaw hadn't been in the patrol. Whitestorm was leading it. Good. Milk his ego a bit and he would follow you like a bee follows honey.

At the moment, the great white warrior was puzzled, "I-I don't understand… Why is the traitor going to help us rescue the kits that she stole by raiding the ShadowClan camp?" Firepaw rolled his eyes.

He'd already explained the reason about a dozen times, "Yellowfang. Did. Not. Take. The. Kits. And she didn't kill Spottedleaf. She just wants to help us rescue the kits. Now, are you going to follow me to meet her? Graypaw is with her, so we should hurry. I know you'll make the right choice."

Whitestorm looked elated by this praise, and happily mewed, "Lead the way, Firepaw!"

When they arrived at the ash tree, Firepaw's heart sank. Yellowfang was gone.

He quickly spotted Graypaw pacing back and forth in front of the tree, so he approached him, "Where's Yellowfang?"

Graypaw pondered this a moment before answering, "She went to get some other loyal ShadowClan cats or something. You know, to help us with the raid."

Firepaw turned back to Whitestorm, "Don't worry, she's on her way back right now." Graypaw was suspicious again.

Talk about mood swings, "Maybe she's just sharing tongues with ShadowClan warriors while we're sitting here waiting to get ambushed!"

Whitestorm was starting to look nervous, "Um, Firepaw?"

"She'll come back." _And if she doesn't, I'll find her. Then I'll kill her. For Spottedleaf._

"Well said, Firepaw. I _am_ back." Yellowfang stepped out from behind a tree, her tail twitching with amusement, "You're not the only one who can sneak up on someone. Remember the day we met? You were looking the wrong way then too." Then three more cats materialized from the darkness behind her, and the ThunderClan patrol bristled with surprise. For a few moments, the air was filled with sharp tension.

Then a gray tom stepped forward and lowered his head, "We have come to help you, not harm you. You have come for your kits, and we can help rescue them."

Whitestorm was trying desperately to keep up to speed, "Um, so, what's in it for you?"

"We want to get rid of Brokenstar. He has broken the Warrior Code and brought ShadowClan into suffering."

Runningwind wasn't convinced, "So it's that simple? We just pop into your camp, snatch the kits, kill your leader, and go home?"

The gray tom nodded calmly, "You won't encounter as much resistance as you think."

Yellowfang stood up, "By the way, let me introduce you to my colleagues. This brilliant cat talking to you is Ashfur. He's an elder. That is Nightpelt, a senior warrior from before Brokenstar's reign. And this is Dawncloud. Two of her kits died when we drove away WindClan."

The old queen stood up, and her gaze was one of the few things that had ever made Firepaw shiver, "No more of my kits will die. I'd rather kill my leader." Firepaw had no trouble believing her.

"I don't doubt your skills," Whitestorm sounded _very_ doubtful, "But are there enough of you? What will we face in the ShadowClan camp?"

Ashfur stepped forward, "Our old and sick are starving. We have more kit deaths than we can cope with."

Darkstripe mewed for the first time, "But if ShadowClan is such a mess, how have you shown so much strength lately? Why is Brokenstar still leader?" The warrior's tone was smooth, but he was clearly implying that maybe these cats weren't as trustworthy as they might look.

Ashfur, however, had a ready answer, "Brokenstar isn't stupid. He's surrounded himself with a group of his elite. All of the Clan's best fighters and hunters. They would die for him without question. The other warriors only obey out of fear. Once we start to win, they will fight against him."

"What a example of ShadowClan loyalty."

Yellowfang glared at Darkstripe, "Our Clan was not always like this. When Raggedstar led ShadowClan, we were feared for our strength. But in those days our strength came from the Warrior Code and Clan loyalty, not from fear and bloodlust."

Whitestorm nodded knowingly, "How did Raggedstar _really _die?"

Yellowfang's eyes clouded with sorrow,"He was killed by an enemy patrol."

Mousefur's eyes were sad, "These are dark times indeed if leaders are picked off in the dark."

Firepaw's mind was racing, "Is there any way to take the kits without alerting the whole Clan?"

Dawncloud shook her head, "They are very closely guarded. Brokenstar will be expecting an attack like this."

"We must concentrate our attack on Brokenstar himself and the inner guard," Whitestorm mewed.

Suddenly, Yellowfang perked up, "The ShadowClan warriors could lead me right into the camp. They could say they captured me. The cats will undoubtedly gather, and then I'll give you a signal when they're all out in the open, and you can attack!"

Whitestorm seemed happy with that solution, "All right, Yellowfang. Please lead us to the ShadowClan camp."

Tigerclaw

Thoughts darted through Tigerclaw's head like mice through tunnels. Something was wrong with Bluestar. He could sense it. It wasn't something he could explain, and he had no proof, but something was wrong. He paced the ravine, staring up at the large, unnaturally straight walls that hemmed in the pit. It was definitely an ideal defensive position. With only one entrance, it could be easily defended by one well placed warrior. _And that's me._ His mind refused to stay on one subject, as if attempting to outpace the boredom threatening to set in like a flock of vultures. The moon was high in the sky, the rain now gone. The damp sand under his paws was annoyingly sticky. He decided to round the camp yet again. There wasn't even anycat to talk to! He paused to fix some brambles. A few more pawsteps. Another pause to fix some camouflage foliage. Theoretically, the enemy warriors wouldn't know there was a drop off until they fell over it and broke their scrawny necks. As Tigerclaw stopped to fix another defense. _By the time tonight's over, this'll be the most well maintained camp in history!_ Had the patrol found Yellowfang? Why were they taking so long? Tigerclaw stopped working with a sigh. He wished Darkstripe would be back. Then he could share his newfound suspicions. His friend would probably have a few ideas too. He always did.

The time inched by, and Tigerclaw's heart didn't seem to grow tired from its pounding. The patrol would be back any time now. With the kits. Then they could all go back to sleep. He glanced at Bluestar's den. She had looked very tired when she had returned to camp. He made a mental note to send her some prey in the morning. He would make her rest for as long as he could. She deserved it. He bitterly regretted his sharp words with her earlier. He had probably just added to her burdens. What kind of deputy would do that?

Bluestar

Snow. Cold. Cold enough to kill a kit. The white flakes whipped through the air at a blinding pace, and Bluestar wailed with fear. She knew what would come next. Suddenly she was lying on something brittle. She was dry. And silence reigned. Bluestar opened her eyes. What met her eyes made her heart sink. The dark, twisted trees and matte black sky. She quickly scanned the surrounding forest for Redtail. He was nowhere in sight.

"You looking for someone?" Bluestar spun around, her claws unsheathed. The cat standing behind her was a small, mottled she cat. Her eyes glinted with an almost humorous light.

Bluestar wouldn't be caugh unprepared again, "I know this is only a dream. You can't hurt me. But I, on the other hand, can hurt you very badly. So just leave me alone!" The small cat just purred and sat down on the dead grass, curling her tail over her paws. Bluestar's mind raced, "Are you the cat Redtail was talking about? Are you… "her"?"

The she cat licked her paws, "No, that's not me. Good thinking though." They sat in silence for a while.

Then Bluestar leaped to her feet, "Are you just trying to waste my sleep?! Why are we here? I mean, I can understand how Redtail would scare me, but how is sitting on a bunch of dead grass like a bunch of mousebrains helping your sick, twisted cause?!"

The she cat purred, "It's always the same, isn't it? Just because you've got it all you think you're better than the rest of us."

Bluestar suddenly felt self conscious, "Well… I actually don't have "it all"!"

The other cat purred even more silkily, "Oh, is that so? Does being leader of a Clan count for nothing? Does being favored and successful count for nothing? Does being cared about count for _nothing_?" her eyes were suddenly alight with a disturbing mixture of sorrow and delight, "That's what they all think. They don't know what it feels like to be the outcast." Bluestar wanted to comfort this obviously neglected cat, but she stopped herself. _She's probably not even alive. It's all part of their plan._

So, she decided to try for some information, "Is that what it was like for you? You can tell me about it."

All emotion on the strange cat's face was erased and replaced with a kind of detached humor, "Oh, Bluestar, I thought you would know better than to try sticking your muzzle into other cats' business. And I should mention, my name is Sparrowfeather." Sparrowfeather flicked her tail carefully at a stray bramble, "I think it's high time we got time to business. I was sent here to send you this message. You've got rough times ahead, Bluestar. If you ever need our help, just ask."

Bluestar slowly paced forward until she was standing nose to nose with Sparrowfeather, "Look, _cat_, I've made a few bad decisions in my time, but joining you is not going to be one of them."

Sparrowfeather purred, but her eyes were glinting dangerously, "I think you're going to find our offer harder to refuse than you think."

**It's getting exciting! Or, as Sherlock Holmes would say, "The game's afoot!" **

**Anyways, I appreciate the fact that you're all still reading this story, it's really encouraging! **


	13. His Cold, Green Eyes

Firepaw

_Oh, I really hate this place. Why can't there be any comfort in this forest?!_ Firepaw yanked his paw out of yet another pool of mud with a sickening squelch. He tried his best to paste an idiot, brave look on his face. It was really hard. Yellowfang and the other ShadowClan cats were absolutely comfortable in this terrain, and it just made everything even more hopeless and annoying. As they moved towards the ShadowClan camp, a rotten stench grew stronger and stronger.

Graypaw curled his lip in distaste, "You eat _crowfood_?"

Ashfur skipped around a puddle, and Firepaw promptly stepped into it, "Our warriors are used for attacking, not hunting," the gray elder explained, "We eat whatever we can get our paws on."

Yellowfang interrupted the utterly boring conversation with a quiet order, "ThunderClan, hide in that clump of toadstools. It'll disguise your scent. Don't move until I give a call." With that, she slumped her shoulders and was led away by the other ShadowClan cats, giving a good impersonation of a prisoner. Maybe she had some experience. With a few murmurs of disgust the ThunderClan cats crouched in the toadstools, preparing to spring at any moment. It seemed as if they were waiting forever, and Firepaw began to get a little stir crazy, _I bet that stinking traitor is sitting with Brokenstar right now, purring about how stupid we are to fall for this._ As if on cue, yowling erupted from the camp. Without even glancing at his fellow warriors, Firepaw leapt towards the sounds. He was in the perfect mood for shredding muzzles. They burst through a ring of trees, and Firepaw almost choked with shock. The ground was swarming with wrestling cats, and yowls split the air. Firepaw noticed that only six enemy ShadowClan warriors were actually fighting. They must be Brokenstar's guard. Brokenstar stood in the middle of them, lashing out at any cats who burst through his ring of loyal warriors. Firepaw was pleasantly surprised to find that a good number of ShadowClan warriors were simply watching the scuffle. So Yellowfang was right, they weren't even as loyal as a mouse to a snake. He turned to glance at Graypaw, only to notice that the ThunderClan cats were already leaping into the fray. With a thrill of joy, Firepaw joined them. Everything became a blur of teeth and claws. Somecat slashed at his flank, and Firepaw locked his jaws around a ShadowClan pelt, refusing to let go. They scrabbled in the dirt, and Firepaw tried to remember some brilliant combat move. Before he could think of anything, the warrior struggled free, rewarding Firepaw's efforts with a blow to the muzzle. He turned just in time to see a tiny ShadowClan "apprentice" leap towards him, it's kitten fluff stuck out in odd angles. Firepaw was readying himself to meet it with a killing blow when he spotted Graypaw watching him. _Great. Now I can't kill it without getting kicked out of the Clan._

Instead he hissed at the little furball, "Get out of here, kit! This isn't your fight." The kit didn't need to be told twice, and leapt out of the clearing with a terrified squeak. He turned to see that all of the ShadowClan warriors had disappeared, either they had run or slunk away to lick their wounds. A loud screech startled Firepaw, and he spun around to face the source of it. Writhing on the ground, Brokenstar and Yellowfang were locked in mortal combat, both bleeding, and both very, very angry. Yellowfang flipped Brokenstar to the ground with the vicious grace of an experienced warrior, and she dove for his throat with a yowl. The ShadowClan leader, in a last desperate attempt, threw up his paws, stopping her claws a mouselength from his throat. Undaunted, Yellowfang pushed with all her might, and the deadly sharp claws began creeping slowly towards Brokenstar's unprotected neck.

The leader began to panic, "I never thought you'd be harder to kill than my father!" Yellowfang recoiled as if she had been struck, and Brokenstar slipped free. Firepaw debated whether or not to spring for the twisted cat, _Nah, this is too interesting._

Still shocked, Yellowfang gasped, "Y-you killed Raggedstar?"

Brokenstar glared at her, "You found his body with my fur between his claws! It should have been obvious. He was too soft anyway. He deserved to die!"

Yellowfang's eyes welled with grief, "And Brightflower's kits? Did they deserve to die too?"

Brokenstar leapt towards Yellowfang, raking her stomach and flanks, "Those kits were weak. They would have been no use to ShadowClan. If I hadn't killed them, they would have died anyway!" _Weak? And this is coming from the cat who can't beat an old, fleabitten medicine cat!_ The surrounding ShadowClan cats started to wail with grief and anger. _If Brokenstar doesn't start apologizing very soon, he'll have a lynch mob on his paws!_ Brokenstar, however, was ignoring them.

His gaze was focused solely on Yellowfang, "I should have killed you when I had the chance! It seems I must have some of my father's softness. I was a fool to let you leave ShadowClan alive!" He raised his paw, ready to slash Yellowfang's throat with a single vicious strike. But Firepaw was faster. He leapt at Brokenstar, knocking him off of Yellowfang. The leader sprawled in the dust, and Firepaw padded forward triumphantly. The ShadowClan leader leapt to his feet with a hiss, "Don't waste your time, apprentice! I've shared dreams with StarClan. You will have to kill me nine times before I join them. Do you really think you're strong enough for that?" A flicker of doubt lanced through Firepaw, but he couldn't back down now. His eyes locked with Brokenstar's, and the overpowering anger startled him. Then, unexpectedly, Brokenstar's eyes widened with fear. Surprised, Firepaw noticed for the first time that the remaining ShadowClan cats were starting to advance on their leader, yowling for his blood. Brokenstar decided it wasn't worth it. He hissed one last time before bounding out into the forest, away from ShadowClan territory.

Right before he disappeared from view, he yowled over his shoulder, "This isn't over, apprentice!"

Tigerclaw

Tigerclaw blinked his eyes open and noticed that the moon was high in the sky. He sat up quickly when he heard the voices of cats drifting from the forest. He padded quietly towards the entrance, ready to sound the alarm. His claws slid slowly out into the soft sand. Then the scent of ThunderClan warriors assailed his nostrils, and he breathed out a sigh of relief. Whitestorm materialized from the treeline, leading a column of wounded but joyful warriors.

Tigerclaw stepped forward, greeting the white warrior with a nod of his head, "Was the raid successful? Are the kits safe?"

Whitestorm nodded, "Yes, they're safe. Scared and a little beat up, but safe."

A cry arose from the nursery, and Tigerclaw turned to see Frostfur bounding towards the patrol, "My kits!" The kits rushed to meet their mother, purring happily. Tigerclaw gazed at the remainder of the patrol. Had they caught the traitor Yellowfang? Had they killed her? Then he spotted the mangepelt wandering along with the patrol, unguarded.

He whirled towards Whitestorm, "Why did you bring back the traitor?"

Firepaw's mew arose from the assembled cats, "She isn't a traitor!"

Longtail padded towards the apprentice wrathfully, "She killed Spottedleaf! How could you let her live?!"

Then Graypaw mewed, "Look in between Spottedleaf's claws! That's Clawface's fur, not Yellowfang's!"

Mousefur inspected the body, and turned back to the crowd, looking disappointed, "Graypaw is right. Spottedleaf was not attacked by a grey cat."

"But that doesn't mean she didn't help to take the kits!"Tigerclaw hissed.

"We wouldn't have recovered those kits without Yellowfang!" Firepaw spat, "She knew that a ShadowClan warrior had taken them. She was hunting for them when I found her. She risked her life returning to the ShadowClan camp. It was Yellowfang who thought up the battle plan that got us into the ShadowClan camp and gave us a chance to defeat Brokenstar!" Tigerclaw didn't believe a word that the shady apprentice mewed.

Whitestorm, however, agreed, "Yellowfang is a friend."

"I'm glad to hear that." Tigerclaw turned to see Bluestar quickly approaching. The leader looked tired, "Is Brokenstar dead?"

Whitestorm shook his head, "He escaped. But he will never lead ShadowClan again. Oh, and I promised to leave ShadowClan in peace until next full moon. Brokenstar left them in ruins."

Bluestar nodded, "That was a wise and generous offer." Then the silver cat stepped past him and approached Spottedleaf. Doubt flickered through Tigerclaw, _She can't be trying to reward that spy!_ Bluestar touched noses with Yellowfang, "I wish you to replace Spottedleaf as medicine cat for ThunderClan. I'm sure you'll find her supplies right where she left them." _NO!_

A rumble of doubt swept through the surrounding cats, but Yellowfang ignored them, "Thank you, Bluestar. ShadowClan is not the Clan I once knew. ThunderClan is my Clan now." That dirty spy!

Darkstripe padded up to Tigerclaw, "She's a little too eager to pick a new medicine cat, don't you think?"

Tigerclaw was thinking the same thing, "Maybe she just wants to get the returning warriors healed quickly."

Suddenly, Bluestar glanced up, "Where's Ravenpaw?"

Tigerclaw noticed the absence of his apprentice for the first time, "Yes, where is my apprentice? Strange he would disappear along with Brokenstar…" Had he been kidnapped?

Or maybe Brokenstar's cats had hurt him while they were running away... "If you think he might have been helping Brokenstar, you're wrong!" _Wait, WHAT?! _Rage rose within Tigerclaw. Firepaw was twisting his words!

The orange apprentice continued, "Ravenpaw is dead. We found his body in ShadowClan territory. He must have been slain by a ShadowClan patrol." Grief crashed down onto Tigerclaw. His poor apprentice. He never had been able to fight very well. _And it's all my fault. I should have trained him better._

He lifted his head to meet the gazes of the surrounding cats, "I never said that Ravenpaw was a traitor. He would have made a fine warrior. His death has come too soon." He turned away from the assembly and padded quietly towards a dark corner of the camp. He sat there for a while, battling his grief.

Then Darkstripe's mew broke through his cloud of sorrow, "Bluestar's going to make him a warrior. Firepaw I mean. Graypaw too."

Tigerclaw growled, "That little fox hearted coward! Firepaw will kill her at his first chance! He probably killed Ravenpaw! How can a just leader like Bluestar allow him to become a warrior?!"

Darkstripe sat down beside his friend, "I think I have an answer for you. I'm not sure Bluestar is everything she says she is."

Tigerclaw shook his head in confusion, "What do you mean?"

His friend was dead serious, "I think our leader has broken the Code. In fact, I think she's broken it many, many times." Tigerclaw was silent for a long moment.

Then he turned his sad, amber eyes towards Darkstripe, "Tell me."

Bluestar

Bluestar stood before the crowd of cats.

It was time. Firepaw and Graypaw were going to be warriors, "I, Bluestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these two apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn." She turned her gaze towards the two eager apprentices before her. For once, Firepaw didn't seem so… disturbing. Maybe he _had_ changed, "Firepaw, Graypaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend this clan, even at the cost of your lives?"

Firepaw stepped forward, "I do."

Graypaw quickly followed his friend, "I do."

Bluestar raised her eyes towards the moon, "Then, by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Graypaw, from this moment on you will be known as Graystripe. StarClan honors your bravery and your strength, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan. Firepaw, from this moment on you will be known as Fireheart. StarClan honors your bravery and strength, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." The two apprentices stepped forward, and one by one she rested her chin on their heads as they licked her shoulder respectfully. Then the two new warriors bounded towards the warriors, an extra spring in their step as the Clan began to chant their new warrior names.

Bluestar was forced to yowl over the joyful mews of ThunderClan, "It is almost moonhigh! In the tradition of our ancestors, Fireheart and Graystripe must sit in silent vigil until dawn, and guard the camp alone while we sleep." When she had said these words, she quickly padded back into her den. _I did the right thing. They will both make wonderful warriors._ Before she entered her den, she glanced back at the two new warriors, keeping their silent vigils. Her eyes settled on the flame colored cat, his green eyes shining coldly once again. Bluestar couldn't repress a shiver, _Have I helped ThunderClan tonight? Or have I just released a monster? _

__**_End of Book One_**

**And thus ends the first book in this series! Expect the sequel in about a month. Just in time for summer break! And, as always, thanks for reading! **


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